Love, Civility, Graciousness, Self-Control - LACKING all too often? In INCREASING measure?

If you've been following recent news stories, you'll be familiar with the following PUBLIC outbursts, captured and already seen around the world...

• At the recent 2009 MTV music video awards show, Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for a video award in front of a live audience, taking the microphone away, and claiming that Beyonce should have won the award.
• During the recent U.S. Open Tennis Championships, Serena Williams cursed at and berated tennis officials, costing her a penalty point that ended up being match point.
• During U.S. President Obama's most recent health care speech to Congress, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson shouted, "You lie" at the President DURING the speech, prompting a reprimand from Congress.

And those are stories that have just happened in the past WEEK!

Examples like these seem to be happening more and more often. AND in this "YouTube/Internet" time in which we're living, these outbursts are captured on video and audio and are uploaded for the world to see almost IMMEDIATELY. Loss of self-control, a lack of graciousness and appropriateness, a growing lack of respect and civility...ALL of it stemming from a lack of LOVE...the love of GOD FIRST...which would naturally lead to putting others before yourself and thereby ALWAYS being FULL of GRACIOUSNESS, as was said about JESUS CHRIST in Luke 4:22 - "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips."

BE CAREFUL THOUGH - As Gwen has always taught from the Word of GOD through this Ministry...we START with the "man in the mirror." Just because these featured politicians, athletes, and entertainers in the public spotlight have been put on display for the world to see doesn't "excuse" even an INTERNAL lack of these qualities in any of us. It is very UNloving towards GOD to overeat. It is very UNgracious before GOD to claim Him as GOD and then go right back out and disobey His beautiful commands, trampling the sacrifice of Jesus all over again. The LACK of civility that accompanies talking behind the back of the boss is appalling and offensive. OH, may we learn from these PUBLIC examples and pledge NEVER to lack the LOVE that comes from GOD...which equates to OBEDIENCE to His commands. "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" - I John 5:3-4.

TODAY on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll be discussing these traits, how to LEARN from what we see publicly, and how to put what LOVE really IS into our hearts and into practice. We hope you'll join us!

Choosing the Narrow Path - Part 2 - Praise from GOD or from Man?

"PUBLIC PERCEPTION"..."spinning it in the media"..."what does the fan-base and support-base think?"..."what will PEOPLE think if I ________?"

It's amazing to watch how PULLED and LED by "what people think" that nearly all of mankind is. From athletes to entertainers, politicians to business executives...even religious leaders...the NUMBER ONE FOCUS is "What do PEOPLE think of me?" And then the decisions are made. Right versus wrong almost ALWAYS takes a back seat. It's about what the PEOPLE want and think and how they'll react. RARE is the case when someone does RIGHT and IMMEDIATELY credits GOD. RARE is the case when someone does WRONG and IMMEDIATELY (BEFORE being "caught") says, "I made a mistake, I've let GOD down and anyone else who has thought highly of me, I ask His forgiveness, and I WILL CHANGE." How powerful and profound this would be!...if GOD truly was NUMBER ONE in more people's lives. This is sad...wrong...upsetting...that our glorious and awesome Creator isn't IMMEDIATELY credited and isn't IMMEDIATELY apologized to...for "fear of the people's reaction."

Look at this POWERFUL and TELLING quote from Gwen...an excerpt taken from her "EXODUS Daily Devotional: Laying Down Your Idols" book...

"It really bothers me that God is not in the headline news every night. I would love to hear a newscaster say, 'And the hand of God spared this person from a fatal accident today.' It also makes me mad that God is not on the weather channel every night! Can you imagine hearing the weatherman say, 'And God did something new again. We guessed that it was going to rain today, but God decided to bring sunshine instead. What a God of surprises He is! And did anyone see the sunset He painted yesterday? He outdid Himself yet again!'"

And there's more from that excerpt...

"God is God, and I love it! I don’t want it any other way, and I wouldn’t want the world in the hands of anyone else. God has all authority and power, and I respect and uphold every decision He makes, from simple ones to difficult ones. Strive to begin each day standing in awe of God’s deeds, and give HIM credit where all credit and praise and honor is due!"

THAT, dear friends, is a FOCUS on giving GOD the PROPER PRAISE and HONOR and RESPECT that is due Him! NO cares about the "praise of men" or "how that will be perceived in the media." THINK ABOUT THIS...NO man or woman of GOD...EVER...throughout history...NONE...ZERO...put his or her "reputation" and/or "how I'll be perceived by MAN"...OVER the wants and wishes and praises and desires and commands of GOD.

Abraham, Job, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Hosea, JESUS CHRIST, Peter, Paul, John, Timothy, James, Titus...and since those days of the written Scriptures you've had MARTYRS and PROPHETS...people who RISKED and even GAVE UP their lives in many ways...and to this very day you have Gwen crying out to anyone in this world who will LISTEN, saying, "It really bothers me that GOD is not in the headlines news every night...God is God, and I love it! I don’t want it any other way, and I wouldn’t want the world in the hands of anyone else."

THOSE are no "common" statements to make...not in this generation.

TODAY on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll have a discussion with CHRIS ANCONA, a man who will testify about "Choosing the Narrow Path," STOPPING his known sins from the get-go of his hearing this Message, REVERSING course and getting on the NARROW path, and RUNNING FORWARD with this Truth in his life...putting this "GOD FIRST" attitude and life into PRACTICE...and emulating that incredible example that Gwen lays out in this Ministry...with all praise to GOD! We hope you'll join us.

Choosing the Narrow Path to Life...It STARTS with STOPPING on the Wide Road to Death

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" - Matthew 7:13-14 - The NIV Bible.

What incredibly POWERFUL words! And remember this poem from years past...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Not Taken" - by Robert Frost

Taking "the narrow path"..."the road not taken"...has been the charge from every man and woman of GOD throughout history. It all starts with a DECISION and a COMMITMENT. See this quote from Gwen's "The Legend To The Treasure" book about PRACTICAL EVERYDAY LIVING for those who claim GOD as their ONLY GOD...

"Walk daily in the light of truth and correction and tell yourself the truth about how much you eat, spend, drink, talk and disobey. Expose the anti-authority to God and then stop, cease, terminate, finish, draw to a close, be over with, bring to an end, bring to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, wind up, discontinue, suspend, break off, and leave sin! Be done with it forever. Then, start and continue this new life with this daily living, and you will not be alone. You will enjoy this wonderful fellowship no matter where you live in the world."

Notice the CHARGE in the middle of that paragraph? It's STRONG! Stop, cease, terminate, finish draw to a close, be over with, bring to an end, bring to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, wind up, discontinue, suspend, break off, and leave sin! You cannot CONTINUE on the "broad road" to destruction...not even a TINY bit...AND "love and obey GOD" at the same time. With new, open eyes and ears to this TRUTH and UNDERSTANDING, we GET the opportunity and the second chance to STOP moving forward on that wide path, turn around, and move OVER to the NARROW ROAD! What an opportunity! SO - WE STOP doing and thinking things that we KNOW are wrong...THEN we're be able to SEE the narrow road...and choose WISELY. We'll be discussing this concept of STOPPING SINNING...and moving our time, thoughts, actions, and motives over to the godly, narrow path TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We invite you to join us! ALSO, we have a FREE PODCASTS website that you can visit and enjoy past LIVE segments.

"Surviving Today's Economy" - An Evening of CONVICTION and HOPE!

WOW! - If you missed last evening's Weigh Down LIVE Webcast, "Surviving Today's Economy," you missed an evening of CONVICTION, REALITY...and ultimately, HOPE. You might ask, "What hope is there in a REALLY DOWN economy...not just here in the United States but on a global scale?" What Gwen explained in such a CLEAR, CONCISE, and POWERFUL way was that OUR hope rests in ADHERING to GOD'S commands and staying within His boundaries in our spending and investments and our FOCUS on putting Him FIRST in EVERYTHING. She charged us to "have FAITH" in GOD'S system of laws and principles. His boundaries SURELY DO fall in "pleasant places," as the great King David wrote in the 16th Psalm.

Gwen's Message was backed up by Testimonies of several participants who have saved LOTS of money and been blessed in so many other ways by putting all of this into practice. AGAIN, it was an evening of CONVICTION to go FURTHER in our relationships with GOD...and an evening with PRACTICAL advice as to HOW we can accomplish this. It was, indeed, "MUST-SEE TV"...via your internet connection of course. You can see it again...or for the first time...by clicking HERE. It has been amazing as a STAFF for us to witness the countless ways that GOD has used Gwen and this Ministry to change lives for the better. It truly is about SO much more than weight. It has something for EVERYBODY!

Remember that today on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll be talking about feeling GOD'S pain...HIS grief...HIS sense of loss...what HE goes through on a daily basis. And given last night's eye-opening Webcast about the state of today's economy, it is OBVIOUS that GOD has MANY lessons to teach us. May we see it as a humbling HONOR to learn ANYTHING more about His personality...His joy and His pain...His likes and His dislikes...His Truth and Righteousness!

Grieving...for GOD and HIS pain

GRIEVING - Every one of us has experienced LOSS. You've lost dearly loved family members and/or friends as they've passed away. You've had a favorite pet that's passed away. You've witnessed tragic events in news coverage - horrible crashes, crimes, and substance-related passings. On a life-still-goes-on scale, you may have experienced grief in losing a job or perhaps you've moved away from your closest family and friends. Perhaps you've had the pain from broken relationships stay with you for a long time. All of this, of course, is very REAL. GOD desires SO VERY MUCH for us to cry out to HIM in this...RATHER than run to ANYTHING ELSE for comfort or to feel better. It's what JESUS did in His painful grief...knowing what He was about to suffer before His crucifixion. But let's look at GRIEF from a perspective that we really OUGHT to...NO, we MUST...look at it like from this day forward (if you haven't already considered this...)

GOD...the LORD and FATHER of all things we see and do not see...the CREATOR of every star, plant, animal, blade of grass, leaf on a tree, drop of water and every MAN, WOMAN, and CHILD...US...experiences LOSS and GRIEF on a cataclysmic scale - ALL day, EVERY day. Every single day, billions of people (remember that WE are the ONLY beings in His Creation who are "made in His image") make CONSCIOUS DECISIONS to ignore His commands, complain to Him, deny Him, curse Him, and gripe about their OWN lives...being mad about what they DON'T have or DON'T like...rather than counting the BILLIONS of BLESSINGS that they DO have...the COUNTLESS JOYS that we GET to share in as human beings who have a CHANCE to be guided by HIS HOLY SPIRIT!!! THAT, dear friends, for our GREAT GOD ALMIGHTY, has GOT to be GRIEVING for HIM! How does He keep it up? How does He not give up on the whole thing? We read about the "fruits of the Spirit" (HIS Spirit) - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. My GOODNESS, does He EVER exemplify those in INFINITE measures! We of course will feel a pain and a loss if ONE thing goes wrong in our lives. CONSIDER though for just one moment...even right now as you're reading this...what HIS day, every day, is like.

• People full of greed...for TOO MUCH food, alcohol, money, sexual feelings...and this happens worldwide all day.
• People NOT giving Him credit when things are "going great" and people BLAMING Him when things happen that they don't understand.
• People conveniently asking for his "help" when they get into a "jam" and then totally forgetting about Him on a daily basis...never asking for His HOUR-by-HOUR leading.
• People treating everything else BUT Him as a "god"...from football to jobs to money to food to alcohol to sex to TV to THEMSELVES...when HE is the ONLY TRUE GOD.

The list of HIS justifiable "grievances" could go on and on for pages and pages and pages. YET, here we are...the world is spinning and we have a CHANCE to CHANGE PERSPECTIVES...starting RIGHT NOW as it needs to for any of us. TODAY is the day to CHOOSE to FEEL for HIM. Let's start every day with PRAISE for even LIFE ITSELF...before even ASKING for anything. Let's tell Him every day how SORRY we are that He DOES experience and endure SO MUCH GRIEF and PAIN every day.

Here's a quote from Gwen - "Grieve FOR GOD...Do not ADD to GOD'S grief."

The next time something happens that feels like a "loss" in any of our lives, let's fall to our knees and worship GOD for the patience He has had with all of us. In the middle of His grief, He has given us the eyes and ears to see and hear what His will is...even to this very day. We'll be discussing this concept...GRIEVING for GOD...on WDWB LIVE today at 3:30pm CST. And DON'T FORGET to set your alarm, double-check your computer and internet connection, block off the time, and do EVERYTHING you CAN do be available to watch TONIGHT'S FREE Weigh Down LIVE Webcast at 7:00pm CST. Gwen and several people testifying will share how to have a GODLY perspective on "Surviving Today's Economy." This perspective will provide HELP and ENCOURAGEMENT for EVERYONE! Please join us on the Web Radio this afternoon and on the Webcast this evening. Until then, let's PRAY to feel more of our GREAT and BEAUTIFUL GOD'S grief...and resolve ourselves to RELIEVE some of it with our own lives...never ADD to it.

TEACHABILITY from GOD - A Golden Virtue, A Key to Salvation

DON'T FORGET! - We have Weigh Down LIVE, our free online webcast, scheduled for TOMORROW (Wednesday) evening at 7:00pm CST! The THEME is "Surviving Today's Economy." We'll have tips, testimonies, and encouragement. CLICK HERE for more info!

Now, on with the Blog...

"TEACHABILITY" - From www.dictionary.com - A couple of strong definitions to get the Blog going this morning - "Able and willing to learn"...also..."Capable of being taught, as a subject."

That's a great launching pad for some thoughts for today...and in fact, that PLAQUE you see at the top of today's Blog is a quote from michelangelo, renowned Italian renaissance artist. He was in his 80s (age-wise) when this quote was recorded.

Have you noticed, whether it's in business, sports, TV, movies, music, medicine, etc......how the "hungry pupil" often times starts in very low, humble, wanting to SOAK UP every bit of learning he or she can absorb circumstances...then rises through the ranks into positions of fame, management, recognition, etc...then because of PRIDE and a love of the PRAISE of MAN, CEASES to become "teachable." Here are some examples from a variety of perspectives...LOSING teachability versus REMAINING teachable...

• LOSING TEACHABILITY - In the most recently released "Star Wars" movie - Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith - Anakin Skywalker goes from humble protege, thankful for Obi Wan Kenobi's teaching, wanting to learn from the "Jedi Council"...to becoming GREEDY for more position and power. He even ADMITS to his wife that the way he's beginning to feel is WRONG. "Something's wrong. I'm not the Jedi I should be. I want more. But I know I shouldn't..." He LOST his humility and turned to the dark side. The SUBJECT LOST his ability to be TAUGHT in the RIGHT way.
• LOSING TEACHABILITY - You see and hear the sports stories about hungry-to-learn football players, overcoming odds and difficult upbringings...only to get to the NFL (National Football League), get the big contract, become stars, then HOLD OUT while still UNDER contract because they "want more." Greed...pride...wanting more..."I know better..."
• REMAINING TEACHABLE - King David. We bring his name up FREQUENTLY in these Blogs because he truly was a "man after GOD'S own heart." From a quick rise to fame with the slinging of a stone and the slaying of the giant Goliath, the Israelites were singing SONGS about him! He could have gotten the "big head" and followed a path of pride to his own destruction. But NO, the jealous King Saul pursued David out of JEALOUSY and David SPARED Saul out of fear of the LORD and RESPECT for Saul's position as "GOD'S anointed" King. He wouldn't DARE lay a hand on Saul...even though Saul was in the wrong by pursuing David and trying to kill him. READ the PSALMS! They are FILLED with humility and teachability. He NEVER stops crying out to GOD for MORE wisdom and love and mercy and he gives GOD this never-ending, beautiful PRAISE...to his final days on the earth. And King David did this in even INCREASING measure! TEACHABILITY to the CORE!

Gwen has always led this Ministry...from its very beginning foundations to this very day and even MORESO every day...with a humble spirit of hungering and thirsting for MORE teaching from GOD. With the unparalleled success of Weigh Down, she has SURELY sought GOD MORE and MORE...in INCREASING measure. And He continues to bless all of the teachings, testimonies, and music coming from this Ministry. The example set for us as a Staff is to love and need and want and desire GOD MORE with every passing day. We truly do "need Thee every hour" (as the old hymn goes..."I Need Thee Every Hour.")

Those are just some examples and thoughts to think about as we ALL examine our OWN hearts. "Am I MORE teachable...MORE hungry for wisdom and godly counsel...MORE humble and wanting DIRECTION as I'm getting older?" Or is it, "I'm at a pretty good place...feeling good...moved up the ladder in life...I'm set." That's a very DANGEROUS place to be. Amos 6:1 - "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion..." May we NEVER fall into this UNteachable, horrible COMPLACENCY. TEACHABILITY...examples of the BLESSINGS of EMBRACING it versus the CONSEQUENCES of SHUNNING it...that's what we'll be talking about TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We hope you'll join us!

"Labor Day" - Who SHOULD it be honoring?

"LABOR DAY" history - first celebrated here in the U.S. in 1882 - From the U.S. Government's website information page...

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country."

ALSO from the same website page...

"Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

Lastly, from the concluding comments on the same website page...

"The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership -- the American worker."

SO - here we are...the first Monday of September here in the U.S....another "Labor Day" will pass by in the next few hours. Here's a thought for you to ponder...& some perspective on what this day SHOULD be an HONORING of...as you consider the explanation and history listed above. NOWHERE in that explanation is there any MENTION of THE ONE Who is the TRUE and ONLY "CREATOR of so much of the nation's" (and ANY nation for that matter!) "strength, freedom, and leadership"...GOD ALMIGHTY!!! For those who want GOD to be glorified...GOD to be KING in your lives...GOD to be given "tribute"...there is ONE Who is worthy of this HONOR as the ULTIMATE "laborer." GOD created the heavens and the earth. He made mankind in His image. He doesn't sleep or slumber...

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing..." - Genesis 2:2a.

"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working" - spoken by Jesus Christ and recorded in John 5:17.

May another "Labor Day" NEVER again go by when we do not stop, fall to our knees, and thank and praise our GOD for His never-ending LABOR. May we ALL do everything...EVERYTHING...with a motivation to make His job MORE pleasant. Seeing His tireless commitment to teach and train us to be led by His Spirit, may WE be DRIVEN, as He is, to see RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH and PURITY and HOLINESS prevail in our OWN lives. He is SO GOOD and SO VERY MUCH DESERVING of ALL RECOGNITION! May His "labor" in our lives NOT be in vain. All thanks and praise and honor and "tribute" to GOD ALMIGHTY on this "Labor Day." NO ONE deserves it in place of HIM!

MORE HISTORY...and the DECISIONS that Affected its Course

REMINDER about today's 3:30pm CST WDWB LIVE segment...

We're talking HISTORY...and how even split-second DECISIONS...CHOICES...can impact not only our OWN lives but also the generations after us.

Remember that if you MISS a LIVE segment, you can visit our PODCASTS site and listen to past segments any time you'd like! CLICK HERE.

AMBITION - SelfLESS & Beautiful...or SelfISH & Destructive? Which do you have?

As always, first thing's first...GOD has blessed the feedback on Weigh Down's WETV feature from "Secret Lives of Women." The network aired the episode AGAIN last evening at 10:00pm EST, 9:00pm CST. They will air it yet AGAIN on Tuesday, September 1st at 11:00pm EST, 10:00pm CST AND THREE HOURS LATER on Wednesday, September 2nd at 2:00am EST, 1:00am CST. GOD is busy...getting the word out! Thank YOU for helping us spread this GOOD NEWS!
NOW - On with the Blog...
It has been fascinating to observe the "culture of celebrity" here in the United States...and what people are willing to do to ACHIEVE celebrity. It's a hunger, a thirst, an AMBITION that drives people to do nearly ANYTHING to rise in fame...whether it's politics, music, acting/movies/TV, sports, or anything related to "reality" videos and competitions. We referenced the "15 minutes of fame" concept in our Tuesday, August 25th Blog. Not only is it fascinating, it largely is SAD and ALARMING to watch unfold in so many cases. There exists in many people to either GO AFTER or at least WATCH OTHERS go after this insatiable desire to "reach the top"...whether it's political office, a #1 hit song, a highly grossing movie, a shot at money and/or victory on a "reality" show. Here's a few examples from the mixed world of politics, entertainment, and sports.

• The passing of Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy has re-focused media coverage and reports of Edward, John F., and Robert's father JOE KENNEDY. See this quote from a recent USA Today.com article by Jill Lawrence...

  "Instead, he (Joe Kennedy) became what writer Vincent Bzdek calls a human blowtorch, propelling his sons into politics. He expected possibly all four to become president. He wanted to create a more lasting dynasty than the Roosevelts,' says Bzdek, author of The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled."

• In the 1980s, stories circulated about University of Southern California (USC) and briefly of the NFL's Oakland Raiders quarterback TODD MARINOVICH, a young man raised and groomed almost from BIRTH by his father to be a star quarterback. He ate it, slept it, studied it, and played it. Sadly, he burned out on football, and his career was cut short after substance abuse troubles.
• Anyone familiar with pop music knows of MADONNA, who has been charting hit songs since the early 1980s. One of her earliest "breakout" moments...and a quote she's been known for throughout her career...came in 1984. After her debut album gained her a performance on "American Bandstand," host Dick Clark asked her what she wanted to do when she "grew up." She said, "Rule the world." She definitely has gone to great lengths throughout her career, transforming her public image time and time again to remain famous.

We ALL could remember and list preachers, authors, talk show hosts, business leaders, etc. we've known and observed in our lives who would seemingly do ANYTHING to "get an edge" and "get to the top." BUT, as we referenced in yesterday's Blog, it's NOT about "pointing fingers." Remember, we're seeing these things play out in front of us to get US to LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Everyone has an AMBITION. What is YOURS?

• SELFLESS AMBITION - Jesus Christ, even KNOWING He was about to embark on His mission to change the world for GOD'S glory and fame and praise, was SLOW and HESITANT to "become famous" before His time. When His mother Mary asked Him to, basically, perform what became His first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding, His initial response was, "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." He wanted to be SURE that GOD was ready to put Him into the public spotlight...never ASSUMING fame was His to take.
  
• SELFLESS AMBITION - The Apostle PAUL said in I Thessalonians 4:11-12, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, (and here's the key point...the WHY...the MOTIVE...) so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." HUGE!
• SELFLESS AMBITION - Before he was "King" David, the YOUNG David heard that the Philistine giant Goliath was taunting Israel and insulting GOD. He couldn't BELIEVE that NO ONE would, armed with the power of GOD, STAND UP to this disrespectful, blasphemous, arrogant man! And SO, as his quote goes, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied..." And GOD gave him victory on that day and for his LIFE.
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Haman, high in command under King Xerxes, in his arrogance thought of himself as "untouchable," worthy of the King's highest honor. He hated Mordecai, a Jew, and sought to ERADICATE the land of all Jews, executing ALL of them. He didn't count on the humble and beautiful Queen Esther, also a Jew, at the risk of her own life graciously presenting her plea for life to the King...who quickly and angrily turned on King Xerxes and had him HANGED on the very same gallows that Haman had intended to use for Mordecai! Justice...
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Absalom, errant son of King David, tried to win the hearts of the people by UNDERCUTTING his own FATHER! He died horribly...hung by his own HAIR and cut down.
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Judas, the Apostle who betrayed Jesus, helped himself to the money collected for use in their ministry without permission. He didn't like the direction of Jesus' ministry. He betrayed the Son of GOD...and in remorse, he hung himself.

The lists of both kinds of examples could go on and on...
SO - what is our MOTIVE for ANYTHING we do...today and every day? SelfISH ambition isn't just "wanting to be famous." It can take on MANY forms. Lying about your work or a co-worker's work to "get ahead" with the boss. Backstabbing others to make yourself look better at a party or in an organization or even at CHURCH! It can be ANYTHING...ANYTHING that is NOT motivated by the selfLESS desire to MAKE GOD KNOWN. THAT was the ambition of Moses, Abraham, King David, Paul, Peter, and JESUS. It wasn't about personal achievement to be self-glorified. Here, today, Gwen Shamblin has testified and taught from the BEGINNING of this Weigh Down Ministry that her goal NEVER was to be a world-renown author and/or celebrity. By her own words, she wanted to "become a registered dietician and work in the bottom of a hospital with a hairnet on..." GOD since has used her relationship with Him and her humility to serve as an EXAMPLE of how to get people to find HIM! The RESULTS from that selfLESS ambition has been a worldwide ministry and church and COUNTLESS changed lives! VICTORY for GOD!

AMBITION - for GOD'S glory or our OWN glory? We'll talk about the CONTRAST in the two types TODAY on WDWB LIVE! Please join us at 3:30pm CST, and we'll offer conversation, testimony, and perspective on how this Ministry has CHANGED so many people's AMBITIONS. The only FULFILLING...TRULY SATISFYING ambition is the one that gives BACK...the ambition to glorify and bring attention to the all-powerful, wonderful, gracious, awesome GOD ALMIGHTY! Enjoy a day of selfLESS ambition!

Awesome WETV Feature! - PLUS...the Consequences of Choice & the Chain Reaction of Decision-Making

WOW! First thing's first! We are PRAISING GOD this morning for His powerful Hand...leading this Ministry's profile in the MEDIA right now! Did you SEE the WETV program "Secret Lives of Women" last night? The title is a little misleading...but behind the title, the point of last night's episode was about "extreme diets." NOW...anyone who knows ANYTHING about Weigh Down knows that NOTHING about it is "extreme." In FACT, here's a website that addresses that notion very specifically. The CONCEPT of returning to your normal, healthy weight WITHOUT dieting or "have-to" exercise is REVOLUTIONARY though in this generation. SO - on the show, Gwen and Weigh Down were featured as one of four types of "diets" or "philosophies of eating" profiled in an hour-long program. GOD really lifted UP and showed Gwen and this Ministry in a VERY POSITIVE, PRACTICAL, BEAUTIFUL light! It was wonderful! And when you looked and examined and compared the JOY and PEACE and RESULTS of how the Shamblins and Hannahs were shown...along with the Ministry and testimony footage...and the Remnant Fellowship church and the Assembly clips shown... VERSUS other options, it was AMAZING how GOD presented this to the world!!! Indeed, we PRAISE GOD!

And now, on with the Blog...

Consequence...Choice...Chain Reaction...

• In recent political stories, former New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer resigned after being involved in a Prostitution scandal. Former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards pulled out of the 2008 Presidential race as he admitted to a sexual affair.
• In financial news, long-time, world-renown financier Bernie Madoff was convicted and sentenced to prison for conducting a years-long Ponzi scheme, costing lots of people millions of dollars in invested money.
• In sporting news, football player Steve McNair was gunned down by a woman with whom he was having an affair and football player Donte Stallworth served jailtime and is suspended from playing in the NFL for a year after killing a man while "driving while intoxicated."

Every one of these CONSEQUENCES, played out in the public spotlight because of the fame of these individuals, began with a single DECISION...a CHOICE. Whether it was lust in the heart left unchecked, greed for more money and being dishonest for the first time, or drinking too much alcohol in one night, the consequences from what began as single decisions rapidly began unfolding until they spiraled out of control. BUT - this isn't about finger-pointing at those who live life in the "public eye." Weigh Down is the OPPOSITE of that. We've learned here that we need to look INWARD at ourselves...the "man in the mirror." CHANGE starts on the INSIDE. THINK about this...How did any of US get to be 50, 75, 100 pounds OVERWEIGHT? It started with a little bit of overeating...leading in some cases to bingeing...New clothes are needed, there's stress in the marriage, increased costs in health care, the children start picking up the same habits, depression sets in, and on and on. The CONSEQUENCES of that initial, unchecked GREED pile up in just as HARMFUL and DESTRUCTIVE ways as some of those PUBLIC situations play out. It's the same PROCESS...just not as "high profile" or maybe not as "instant"...but it LASTS for what turns out to be GENERATIONS. Once passed down, then the children grow up and pass it down to THEIR children, and on and on. We get the picture...It is a CHAIN REACTION! When GOD Almighty spoke as referenced in Deuteronomy 28, 29, and 30 about BLESSINGS and CURSES...and how they would affect future generations...this is what He was talking about! Setting in motion the RIGHT "chain reaction" is everything! And it starts, as we learn in Weigh Down over and over, with DENYING ourselves in those testing moments with food, or not lusting...FLEEING temptation, keeping the eating and drinking WITHIN GOD'S boundaries...keeping ourselves from spending and desiring possessions we can't afford...being SATISFIED with what we have until or unless GOD allows for more. The CHAIN REACTION...the concept of what GOD is teaching us by this beautiful, Spirit-led self-denial...is POWERFUL!

Jesus chose WISELY in His hours of testing...choosing GOD'S will. Paul accepted his mission to preach Christ for the rest of his LIFE after persecuting Christians and then being confronted on the road to Damascus...choosing GOD'S will. Moses accepted his charge to lead GOD'S people and confront Pharaoh...choosing GOD'S will. David ignored fear of Goliath and feared GOD, killing the giant and leading Israel to victory...choosing GOD'S will. The list of GREATS goes on and on. EACH of them made key, crucial, life-altering decisions of abandoning their OWN wants or fears...and made decisions that set off CHAIN REACTIONS of MORE great decisions and MORE obedience to GOD and MORE good fruit. They are remembered for their beautiful love for GOD and are HONORED FOREVER for it. It all STARTED though...with making those INITIAL RIGHT DECISIONS of self-denial. We can REVERSE any curses and BAD chain reactions that we've wrongly started in our lives. We're WATCHING that HAPPEN right here with our Weigh Down participants! Marriages, families, finances, health...ALL of it is TURNING AROUND by the blessing and mercy of GOD. People are making the DECISION to END their cycle of self-indulgence and start a NEW chain reaction...one of BLESSING for themselves, their families, and anyone who knows them. We'll talk about this awesome concept TODAY on WDWB LIVE...as TEDD ANGER stops by the studio for a visit about what he sees and hears on a daily basis in counsel and guidance of Weigh Down participants. He'll offer encouragement to anyone who wants to start this new CHAIN REACTION! Tune in at 3:30pm CST!

Media, Fame, Shock, & Reality TV...or a Testimony for GOD...A Choice Between 15 Minutes or Eternity

FAME - Fleeting or Eternal? What's the motive? It's a CHOICE!

TV.com's website ranks the list of most popular "reality TV" shows currently, this week, this month, and of all time. On the list, you'll see everything from "Survivor" to "America's Next Top Model" to "Punk'd" to "Ghost Hunters" to "The Apprentice" to "Man Vs. Wild" and lots more. As an American (especially) culture, we've become fascinated...no...obsessed with...the shock value and rush that accompanies a camera supposedly capturing "what's really happening" in people's lives or in competition or in relationships. There are LOTS of ways to become "famous." In 1968, American painter, film-maker, print maker, and "pop artist" Andy Warhol stated his belief that, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Whether or not that ever comes to pass, the point in mentioning it is that it seems more people WANT that "15 minutes of fame" now than ever before. People INCREASINGLY will do outlandish, embarrassing, immoral, even DANGEROUS things to "be famous." WHY? For what PURPOSE?

JESUS CHRIST was and is the most "famous" person EVER to walk the face of the earth. Did He SEEK fame for attention or self-glorification? Did He swallow disgusting things or compete for the love of women or risk His life in competition or backstab and undercut the Apostles in an effort to make Himself look better? Did Peter or Paul do that? Moses? Abraham? Queen Esther? Mary, the mother of Jesus? YET, these men and women live "famously"...remembered and revered...for WHAT? 15 minutes? NO - ETERNALLY! As long as GOD allows the earth to spin, these and many other great saints' names will be honored and revered and imitated...because of their RIGHTEOUSNESS and DEVOTION to the One True and Only GOD Almighty! Hebrews 11 and 12 speak of the great people of faith, the "cloud of witnesses" who surround us and see the lives we're living. What IS your AMBITION? Anything other than bringing glory to GOD by RIGHTEOUS actions and a PURE heart will be fleeting. What's 15 minutes? GOD lifts up for an ETERNITY those who love Him with a WHOLE and PURE heart!

Gwen Shamblin also has written, spoken, and lived this way, with ETERNITY and glorifying GOD as a motive, and GOD continues to lift her, her family, and this Ministry UP in the MEDIA! TONIGHT on WETV, this Message will once again be featured as a way to be healthy, happy, and have peace in your life. Over the past couple of years, GOD has featured Weigh Down on The TODAY Show, FOX News' DaySide Show, The Tyra Banks Show, CBS' The INSIDER Show, the BBC, and much more. GOD also has put Weigh Down in lots of print media...like Good Housekeeping, People Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, and in many newspapers. We can tell you in all honesty that HE has made it all happen. Gwen is doing everything she can to follow in the footsteps of those GOD has lifted up over the years...taking that "fame" and pointing people UPWARD to GOD! The impact has been ETERNALLY life-changing for those who have put the principles into practice and now HAVE this peace, health, and happiness. And the RESULTS are SO much longer lasting...so much more noteworthy...than the 15 minutes of fame that the world offers. Please help us spread the word about this Ministry. Share this link to our main website, http://www.weighdown.com, with your family and friends. It is changing SO MANY people's lives for the BETTER. And GOD gets ALL of the glory! In FACT, we'll visit with CANDACE ANGER on today's WDWB LIVE about how GOD is using the MEDIA to spread the good news about this Ministry around the world. Don't miss it! 3:30pm CST...

Generation Y - The Birth Class of 1991 - Staying Connected Through TRUTH

A recently posted article on usatoday.com referenced this year's incoming "college freshman class," largely born in 1991, with the following observation...

"The 18-year-olds entering college this fall have lived their entire lives with Iraq as an enemy, Russia as a friend (and investment opportunity) and Ozzy Osbourne as a perpetual comeback kid. Born in 1991, most freshmen have grown up in a world that has always had mega-churches, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, Planet Hollywood and the Cartoon Network."

Gwen and this Weigh Down Ministry never has shied away from tackling how to have a godly perspective on any and all current events and happenings in the world. In the case of "Generation Y," that 15-to-29 year old age group heavily involved in "social networking" and all things modern (especially technology-wise), Gwen REGULARLY speaks about and addresses how we as PARENTS should and do have a huge responsibility to stay COMPLETELY CONNECTED to our kids. We don't have ANY excuse for LOSING this connection...just because they're "kids" or "we're just not up on all the stuff they're interested in these days." That's a convenient way to say, basically, "I don't want to take the TIME to understand"...the impact of the internet, e-mail, text messaging, blogging, the fact that there are hundreds of TV channel options they have access to, online chatting, kids' tendencies to become immersed in "reality TV," YouTube, downloadable music and podcasts...and the list of what's been developed SINCE 1991 could go on and on...

Poll an average Teen or early 20s Youth about some of the following questions/issues and the responses could be all over the map!

• Is a BLACKBERRY known more for being a plump, juicy fruit that is picked and used to make cobblers and pies...OR a cell phone/e-mail/internet/texting device used to connect with the world?
• What was the "Gulf War?" What was the "Cold War?"
• Was there ever a time when we DIDN'T have hundreds and even thousands of TV channels to choose from?
• What is a "cassette tape?" What's a "vinyl record?"
• How did people communicate before cell phones, e-mail and text messaging, instant messaging and chatting online?

History and communication and politics and news...ALL of it races through time at a breakneck pace. New technologies and ways to connect spring up regularly...and totally understanding all of it isn't really isn't the MAIN point...nor is it necessarily what GOD asks of all of us...but the point is, where are our HEARTS as parents? These "Y-ers" are using this stuff because it connects them to others. Are we AWARE...REALLY aware...of who they're connecting with and what they're doing? Are we INTERESTED ENOUGH in it to dig deep and find out? How DO we stay connected with them? There IS a way...

What NEVER changes, what we CAN pass down, and what is the ULTIMATE uniter of people who want a relationship with GOD is TRUTH. A humble heart/mind/spirit/attitude knows no age boundaries! It knows no racial or social or technological or economic divide. No matter the age of the person, GOD Himself has ensured throughout the ages that where two or more are gathered in the mighty Name of Jesus...meaning gathered in the attitude of His humble spirit...His selfless mindset, His obedient heart before GOD...with GOD as ONLY GOD in that gathering...then GOD and Jesus are THERE and PLEASED with that gathering. It's CONNECTED...CONNECTED between the people and connected to GOD. He BLESSES it. We're seeing that here in this Weigh Down Ministry and the Remnant Fellowship church that has grown out of this Ministry's teachings and programs. People of ALL ages are able to communicate with each other and hang out together and TRULY enjoy each other's company! It's the TRUTH that unites...the TRUTH that GOD is GOD, we are NOT, and we need to run after and obey ALL of His commands. THAT is interesting! That is real! That is relevant! THAT is WHY all of this technology shouldn't be a point of DISconnection. It should be just another, easier way to connect with and be a light to people of ALL ages.

SO - even though the "birth class" of 1991, today's college freshmen and/or the next to enter the workforce, has grown up perhaps not knowing of life BEFORE Blackberries, texting, allies and enemies of countries, cable and satellite TV, etc...that's NOT what is most important anyway. If we're PLEDGED and RESOLVED to stay connected with them through a loving example and a passing down of TRUTH...and if we PRAY and take the TIME to know more about what they're involved with, we've got a shot at helping them USE this great new stuff for GOOD, GODLY purposes. PLUS, we'll keep a close, connected relationship with our precious children THROUGHOUT their lives...not just until they become teenagers. Isn't that what we want? TRUTH - the tie that binds...We'll talk about all of this TODAY at 3:30pm CST on WDWB LIVE. Join us!

Media Update - AND In a World of "Interconnectivity," what is our Role as Parents?

YESTERDAY, we Blogged about the news that Weigh Down was featured on "The INSIDER" TV show last night. If you missed the show, CLICK HERE to watch the replay. It was wonderful, and the response from around the world is overwhelming! The story of Andy and Maggie Sorrells, with a combined weight loss of 550 pounds, ALREADY is an inspiration to lots of people who are getting started with Weigh Down! GREAT NEWS!

On with the Blog...
ALARMING STATS of the DAY regarding TEEN INTERNET COMMUNICATION - courtesy of netsmartz.org

• 71% reported receiving messages online from someone they don’t know.
• 45% have been asked for personal information by someone they don’t know.
• 30% have considered meeting someone that they’ve only talked to online
• 14% have actually met a person face-to-face they they’ve only spoken to over the Internet (9% of 13-15s; 22% of 16-17s).

When teens receive messages online from someone they don’t know, 40% reported that they’ll usually reply and chat with that person.

• Only 18% said they’ll tell an adult...

Is that a "wakeup call" or what? And those stats are from 2006! How much FASTER and EASIER has it gotten to communicate via the internet in the three years since those numbers were first reported? During a recent message given by Gwen in a PARENTING meeting, she asked the parents, "Are you hovering over and around your children?" And of course she was asking whether parents were more involved in their OWN wants and interests and activities...or were they constantly interested in and involved in what their own CHILDREN were involved with? Are we so "Facebooked and Twittered and MySpaced" with our OWN connections and friends that we've turned our faces from their activities and "trusted" the judgments of the PRECIOUS GIFTS from GOD that are our own CHILDREN? They're YOUNG. What were YOU like as a Teen? As we recall our own past wanderings, remember now that these young people have INSTANT ACCESS to ANY kind of "sensual indulgence"...NOW MORESO than at ANY time in history. If we truly LOVE our children, why WOULDN'T we be involved in every aspect of their lives...LOVINGLY guiding them and letting them know how much we're looking out for them and their best interest...letting them know how we ALWAYS want what is best for them! It truly is a LIE from satan to believe that hovering that closely to our children is bad for them. The exact OPPOSITE is true. It IS LOVE to raise your children with the same level of interest and personal attention that GOD has given to each of US. He has been incredibly PERSONAL with us...involved in every aspect of our lives. It's a wakeup call indeed...

Today on WDWB LIVE, we'll visit with REGINA SMITH, a parent herself of children ranging from the youngest grade school ages all the way up through college age. She'll have some great perspective on putting into PRACTICE these life-changing principles of being CLOSE to your children. The good, peaceful, happy relationships that she and her husband KENT have with their kids will inspire you. There is HOPE!

World Records & Leaving A Legacy - What REALLY Matters?

If you've kept up with the happenings in this Weigh Down Ministry, you might have heard that Weigh Down participants and married couple Andy and Maggie Sorrells have lost a combined 550 POUNDS! THAT is an amazing feat! They weren't trying to set any kind record though...They simply listened to and put into practice what Gwen Shamblin teaches in this Weigh Down program. And they CHANGED...PERMANENTLY! Watch their Video (click the link above) and you'll be amazed. They're happy and peaceful and healthy. And look at what has happened as a result. They are being used by GOD to inspire and encourage people all around the world who see and hear about their story! From the TODAY Show to magazines to CNN.com, the word is spreading about their story and about this Ministry. But NOTE that they didn't seek attention. GOD gave it to them. And the same goes for Gwen, whom GOD has used to change COUNTLESS lives for more than 20 years through this Weigh Down Ministry. It's NEVER been about "making a name"...It's been about CURRENT, RELEVANT, REAL LIFE IMPACT for GOD on people EVERYWHERE...

Whether it's sports statistics and records or feats of the most unusual nature, as a society, we are fascinated with "records." If you browse the Guinness World Records website, you'll find records set in anything and everything from bizarre to outright dangerous. Anyone who focuses their minds on setting a "record" in anything is looking to leave some kind of "legacy"...something to be remembered by. But what kind of "legacy" REALLY matters? What "legacy" does GOD want us to leave behind? Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Almighty GOD, is the most important, most talked about, most famous person EVER to walk on the face of the earth. What he lived, taught, and did in a few cities for a few years 2,000 years ago...before phones, the internet, cars, TV...has CHANGED the course of history FOREVER. WHY? HOW? He didn't live each day trying to "set a world record" to become famous for His own sake. He wasn't outlandish in a quest for personal attention. He very simply, but POWERFULLY, lived each and every minute of His life to LOVE, OBEY, and therefore GLORIFY GOD and make HIM known. He turned people from their sin, healed them, and showed the world that His Father and our Father, His God and our God, was GOOD and RIGHTEOUS and that His commands were BEAUTIFUL to obey! His "legacy" of SUBMISSION to GOD and CHANGED LIVES is eternal, and the impact He has on the world to this very day is unmatched by anyone or anything. And GOD GAVE Him the most EXALTED, famous, powerful Name in all of history. Jesus daily humbled and submitted Himself before GOD, and He is the most famous person in all of history for it. GOD then lifted Him UP and sat Him down at His very own Right Hand! Life for Jesus was ALL about GOD. What a pattern for us to follow! What a LEGACY! It's more valuable than ANY world record ever set...to glorify GOD and change lives forever. We'll take time this week on WDWB LIVE to talk about "leaving a legacy" for GOD'S glory...and how REAL people involved in this Ministry have followed in Jesus' footsteps, CHANGING to be obedient to GOD and IMPACTING the world in which they live. We're looking forward to each day's 3:30pm CST LIVE Program and the PODCAST that each episode becomes.

Communication - MY...How Times Have Changed! Or Have They?

STAT of the day...When it comes to "social networking" online (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn for example...), here's the AGE group "preferred websites" breakdown by "generation." These stats are provided courtesy of www.emarketer.com.

OF THOSE SURVEYED WHO USE ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES...

• Generation Z (13-14 year olds) - 65% use MySpace, 61% use Facebook, 9% use Twitter, 0% use LinkedIn.
• Generation Y (15-29 year olds) - 75% use MySpace, 65% use Facebook, 14% use Twitter, 9% use LinkedIn.
• Generation X (30-44 year olds) - 76% use Facebook, 57% use MySpace, 18% use Twitter, 13% use LinkedIn.
• Baby Boomers (45-65 year olds) - 73% use Facebook, 40% use MySpace, 13% use Twitter, 13% use LinkedIn.
• World War II Generation (66 & older) - 90% use Facebook, 23% use MySpace, 17% use Twitter, 4% use LinkedIn.

INTERESTING stuff! What about YOU? What do YOU use to connect?

On with the Blog...

POLL RESULTS from LAST WEEK - "What is your favorite Weigh Down Seminar?"

• The BREAKTHROUGH Series won the vote, with a 42% response.
• The Legend To The TREASURE Series came in second place, with a 24% response.
• Weigh Down Advanced was third, with an 18% response.

THANK YOU FOR VOTING! ALL of the Seminars are FANTASTIC and LIFE-CHANGING. It's great though to hear from YOU about what your favorites are!

NEW POLL for THIS WEEK - "What is your favorite method of COMMUNICATION?"

CLICK HERE to vote! We'll track the results and post them at the end of NEXT week.

TODAY on WDWB LIVE, 3:30pm CST on WDWB, our Web Radio station, we'll be talking to people in different age groups about their preferred means of communication...and how we've adjusted to the "times" we're living in. It'll be a fun discussion. Don't miss it!

It's fascinating to watch, right before our very eyes, the EXPLOSION of changing technology. King Solomon said that there's "nothing new under the sun." How would his words apply to these incredibly fast-growing, ever-popular communication methods? Basically, GOD put inside the hearts and minds of nearly EVERYONE He ever created the desire to CONNECT with others...ESPECIALLY those who are like-minded with you...those who share your interests. So that desire to COMMUNICATE is not new, of course. It's a means to an end. Whatever technology is developed over time, the END or GOAL has remained the SAME...nothing NEW about it. For a true follower of GOD and Jesus, life should be about following the leading of GOD...wanting to be close to Him...emulating the life of His Son Jesus Christ. What a TIME we are living in! GOD has seen fit to allow technology to make communication nearly INSTANTANEOUS for many parts of the world! WHY? So that we can use our CHANGED LIVES to make HIM KNOWN that much FASTER to a hurting world! Whether it's face-to-face conversations, cell phones, social networking, e-mail, texting, instant messaging, or writing letters, "there is nothing new under the sun." It's all about being a light, being led by GOD'S Spirit, and letting that be known in our words and actions.

SO - whatever "communication methods" we prefer, may we make the END GOAL of ALL of it line up with the words of JESUS CHRIST, in the book of Matthew, Chapter 28 -

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - NIV

Facebook, Twitter, & Blogging...Oh My!

STAT of the day from www.techcrunch.com - For the month of June, what was the MOST VISITED website in the world?

It's the GOOGLE family of websites...with...get this...844 MILLION unique visitors!!! That's not you at your computer visiting Google 50 times in a month and counting that as 50 visitors. No matter how many times you hit Google in June from your computer, that's ONE "unique visitor" hitting the site a bunch of times. 844 MILLION unique computers! That's just short of the population of CHINA! Needless to say, "searching" the internet is HUGE, and so as CHRISTIANS, what will WE do to use this as a way to share about OUR CHANGED LIVES?

On with the rest of the BLOG.......

Okay...so we are really DIGGING this whole "social networking" phenomenon! Yesterday on WDWB LIVE (our in-studio LIVE Web Radio Show...airing each weekday at 3:30pm CST), we talked about the IMPACT of social networking and how Weigh Down is totally on board with our own Facebook page, a Weigh Down Twitter page, a Gwen Shamblin Twitter page, this Blog you're reading right now for Weigh Down Radio...AND we shared some stats about how TEENS are using it. You can CLICK HERE to download our LIVE Radio PODCASTS and listen any time you want! All of this fast-moving, ever-growing ability to communicate really is a wake-up call for any of us to realize that if we are SERIOUS about being a LIGHT for GOD in a hurting world, then EMBRACING this technology, not rejecting it or viewing it as a "fad" that will go away, is a calling for us. We as a Staff here at Weigh Down see it as a MUST! It is how we will reach this younger generation, and it is how we can stay CONNECTED all around the world with those who share a wholehearted commitment to GOD. SO - let's get some feedback from YOU. How often do YOU use internet "social networking" sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.? Post your comments below...and offer up any helpful TIPS that can guide NEW USERS into maximizing the experience of staying connected...AND how to MANAGE your TIME on those sites. It really can take up LOTS of time, and so balancing it all in moderation...just like we're learning to do here in Weigh Down with eating, spending, etc...is a KEY to an ENJOYABLE but not overwhelming experience! Check out WDWB LIVE again today at 3:30pm CST. We'll visit with TEDD ANGER, our Director of Marketing and Public Relations, about how he uses social networking as a tool not just for communication, but for evangelism. He's got some great suggestions from a frequent user standpoint. DON'T MISS IT! Last thing - We're doing a FREE LIVE WEBCAST -"Weigh Down LIVE" - on Wednesday, September 9th. E-mail your QUESTIONS for Gwen to info@weighdown.com, post them here, or call the office toll free at 1-800-844-5208. She would LOVE to hear from you!

Internet Social Networking - Parents, Do You KNOW What Your Kids Are Doing?

It's yet another fantastic day to be ALIVE...and to be able to love GOD and enjoy His amazing Creation! And speaking of Creation, as PARENTS, we all know that we are highly and directly responsible for KNOWING our kids...inside and out...never lazy...never leaving our "parenting" just to the schools, coaches, and other influences in their lives. We came across some TELLING statistics recently about Internet "Social Networking"...websites like MySpace.com, Facebook.com, Twitter.com, etc. that allow people to "connect" and post pictures, audios, videos, etc. about "what they're doing" at any given time. The CONCEPT is wonderful! (On a side note, can you imagine Jesus, Paul, or Peter having INSTANT ACCESS to getting out their messages to the masses? May we USE this incredible technology to let the world know how much we've CHANGED for the better and let them know how GOOD our GOD is! ) BACK to social networking...the stats we pulled were from www.socialnetworkingwatch.com. The POST we're referencing is entitled "Parents Are Out Of The Loop." OUCH! Get this...here's the quote -

"Common Sense Media has released the results of a national poll of teens and parents on social networking behaviors. 22% of teens check social networks more than 10 times a day, while only 4% of parents believe kids are checking SN (social networks) that much. 51% of teens check SN more than once a day, while only 23% of parents say their kids check them more than once a day. 28% have shared personal information that they normally wouldn't have shared in public."

Whoa! Think about that...As a Staff here at Weigh Down and for ALL of us who are PARENTS, this should challenge us more than EVER to make sure we are AWAKE and have a loving, caring eye on what our KIDS are DOING...not just on what they SAY they are doing. We'll talk more today on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST about social networking and the concept of FOCUSING on what's MOST important in life...in the middle of an ever-increasingly BUSY and more CONNECTED world.

UPDATE - WDWB LIVE will re-launch WEDNESDAY, August 12th

Hey everyone! We're working hard on some NEW WEBSITES which will keep making these Weigh Down principles as easy to understand as is possible. We'd love to cover some of that during our first "back-to-our-regular-schedule" WDWB LIVE...so we'll actually re-launch the LIVE Web Radio show TOMORROW - Wednesday, August 12th at 3:30pm CST. We're looking forward to it! Check out WDWB ANY time of the day or night. And until tomorrow, mark your calendars and clocks!

WDWB - Real, Current, Relevant!

Weigh Down and WDWB - "Real, Current, Relevant" - MORE on that in a moment...

WOW! It's a BEAUTIFUL day here in Nashville! High school FRESHMEN (9th graders) here reported to school for early "Orientation." Time is FLYING by! And speaking of time...we've all heard the saying that "time is short...make the most of it...don't miss opportunities..." It's TRUE. But what we've learned here through Weigh Down is that a TRULY PEACEFUL and PRODUCTIVE life...one with ETERNAL rewards in mind...is a FOCUSED life. It's a life that is FOCUSED on making GOD known. A TRUE follower of GOD and His Son Jesus Christ has HIS agenda and will and desires in mind. HOW do we find out WHAT that IS? Keep reading...

NOW - "Real, Current, Relevant" - YES, we're BACK LIVE on "WDWB LIVE" again starting TODAY...Tuesday, August 11th at 3:30pm CST. Our LIVE Web Radio program is going to be "REAL, CURRENT, and RELEVANT!" We will FOCUS on current, real statistics that reflect where we are in society. We will talk about the trends of the current times. We will talk about how social networking via the internet has exploded and how it can be USED to MAKE GOD KNOWN! After all, that is the FOCUS of the TRULY dedicated follower of GOD. And we will talk about Weigh Down's latest "newsworthy" notes...the ins and outs of what's happening HERE. And so today, we're discussing FOCUS...and how YOU can put it into practice...NOW.

SO - we'll get rolling again today. DON'T MISS IT! CLICK HERE to log on to WDWB, our Web Radio station. You'll be glad you did!

WDWB LIVE - Back on TOMORROW - GOD'S Creation is BEAUTIFUL!

WDWB LIVE, our Web Radio in-studio interview/music/testimony/current events show that we host here in our Nashville studios, is BACK ON TOMORROW - Tuesday, August 11th - after a July hiatus! DON'T MISS IT! We'll be ON at 3:30pm CST!

We're already RACING towards mid-August, and you can just feel FALL/AUTUMN around the corner! Our home offices are in the Nashville area...right in the heart of middle Tennessee...and one of the most BEAUTIFUL sights in all of GOD'S creation here is the landscape of the changing leaf colors. Creation really shows off GOD'S handiwork, and it TRULY shows that GOD is in CHARGE, and He has painted all of creation to be just overwhelming, incredible, UNDENIABLE evidence that HE is THERE and is all-powerful and loving and SO WORTHY of our love, worship, and total obedience to His amazing and clear commands! Take time today to THANK and PRAISE HIM for giving you eyesight to see it all!

On another note - POLL UPDATE from last Tuesday's Post - "What is your favorite Weigh Down seminar?" As of this morning, the BREAKTHROUGH Series is in the lead...with a 40 percent of the vote. The Legend to the TREASURE Series is running not too far behind with 26 percent of the vote! Let's give that Poll one more day. CLICK HERE to VOTE, and we'll publish the FINAL results mid-week...AND we'll start a new one mid-week as well! It's a GREAT day to be alive and have the CHANCE to live even one MINUTE for GOD!