Cooper leads OLLU past Wiley

By Tonya Whitaker
Inside The Pew

Our Lady of the Lake University men’s basketball team forced 27 turnovers en route to its 15 consecutive victory, as the Saints edged Wiley in Marshall, 96-88, on Jan. 28.

Marco Cooper scored 23 points for the surging Saints (14-0, 17-3). AJ Govan and Mike Brown added 12 points. Josh Orta added 7 assists and four steals.

The Saints, ranked seventh in the NAIA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 poll, are three games ahead of second place LSU-Shreveport (11-3, 13-6) and three-and-a-half games ahead of Texas Wesleyan University (10-3, 15-4).

Freddie Haynes led the Wildcats (7-6, 11-7) in scoring with 21 points, followed by Michael Evans and Richard Simon, who both finished the game with 13.

OLLU will next head to Shreveport to face LSU-Shreveport on Jan. 30. Tip-off against the Pilots is slated for 7:30 p.m.

In women’s hoops action, the Lady Wildcats silenced the Lady Saints, 74-73. Shakendra Moore led Wiley’s charge with 20 points, followed by Alieshia Carruthers with 12. Carruthers, Latika Smith, and Kyniddia Purdy each net five assists. Smith led Wiley in steals with five.

High scorers for OLLU were Jasmine Fuller with 20 points, Chelsea Kellogg and Nashae Owens each scored 12 points, while Kellogg added four steals and Owens added four assists.

World-famous flying Wallendas tightrope team to perform at The Woodlands church

Dramatic high-wire balancing act to help pastor illustrate sermon

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

HOUSTON -- This weekend, Pastor Kerry Shook of Woodlands Church in Texas will continue his sermon series EXTRAORDINARY with a special message called Extraordinary Faith.

As pastors usually do, Shook will have a visual illustration to help the congregation understand the message he will preach.

But this will not be just any ordinary means of helping attendees to visualize his teaching points.

"Not only will you hear the message," said Pastor Shook, "but you will also see extraordinary faith in action as you watch the amazing high-wire performance of Tino Wallenda, his two daughters, Alida and Aurelia and his 10-year-old granddaughter, Ysabella."

After their incredible high-wire performance, Pastor Shook will interview Tino Wallenda, his two daughters, Alida, Aurelia and his 10 year old granddaughter, Ysabella.

Tino Wallenda was one of the original members of the 1998 7-Person Pyramid on the high-wire. On Feb. 20, 2001, the Wallendas once again accomplished a feat never before attempted. For the cameras of Fox TV's Guinness Records Primetime, the Wallendas assembled an 8-Person, 3-Level Pyramid. To secure their record, they added 2 more family members to form the first and only 10-Person Pyramid.

Wallendas

Kerry Shook is one of today's most gifted communicators offering a clear, contemporary and creative teaching style. He is the senior pastor of Fellowship of The Woodlands, one of the fastest-growing churches in America.

Kerry and his wife, Chris, founded Fellowship of The Woodlands in 1993; and since then, the church has grown to 17,000 in average attendance each weekend. Fellowship of The Woodlands, now Woodlands Church, is one church in three locations with its Fellowship campus in The Woodlands outside of Houston; a satellite campus in the Humble/Kingwood/Atascocita area; and its newest location in the Tomball area. Future satellites are in the planning stages.

Pastor Shook believes that church should be engaging and fun, calling it "The Best Hour of Your Week." He strives to eliminate the barriers of boredom, unfriendliness and fear that keep people from experiencing not just religion but a relationship with Jesus Christ. His messages are relevant, and his illustrations memorable.

Pastor Kerry and Chris Shook

Chris Shook is the Director of Missions and Women's Ministry at Woodlands Church. Her missions work has touched thousands of under-resourced people locally and in numerous countries around the world. Her Women's Ministry is one of the largest in the country, providing fellowship, worship and Bible study opportunities to hundreds of women each week.

Kerry Shook Ministries is a worldwide television ministry that broadcasts to a local, national and international audience. Pastor Kerry and Chris can now be seen by millions in 50 states and more than 200 countries worldwide.  

The church meets at 1 Fellowship Drive, in The Woodlands. Service times are Saturday 6 p.m., Sunday 9:30, 10:30 a.m., and Sunday evening at 6 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.WoodlandsChurch.tv  or call 281-367-1900.

Marking the 2nd anniversary of devastating Haiti earthquake

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (ANS) -- As the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti was marked on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued a statement and Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti has narrated a powerful video depicting the damage still evident in Port-Au-Prince as well as images of rebuilding.

Bishop Duracin, right, welcomes Bishop Leo Frade,
Bishop of Southeast Florida, to the ruins of his Haiti home.
Photo by Archbishop Bryan Hobbs

In a statement on the second anniversary, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said: "The people of Haiti have suffered enormously in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2010. At the same time, their creativity, faith, hope, and joy continue to lead them into a more gracious future. Yet we are all diminished by the reality of the situation in Haiti. Reconstruction has been painfully slow, funds promised by other nations have not yet been paid or paid in full, and many, many people still live in tents.

"The Diocese of Haiti has been serving the people of Haiti with schools (with more than 250 of them back in operation a few short months after the earthquake), with medical facilities, and the beginnings of spiritual and cultural healing. The partnership of Episcopal Relief & Development has helped to provide shelter, clean water, and some employment.

"The Episcopal Church as a whole is partnering to help the Diocese of Haiti rebuild the cathedral complex in Port-au-Prince. Before the earthquake, that complex included not only the cathedral with its world famous murals (three have been conserved), but a music school and philharmonic orchestral, a vocational school, a convent, and diocesan offices. Partnerships have helped to provide necessary infrastructure for strategizing and planning the redevelopment work."

She went on to say, "The Episcopal Church as a whole has had its heart expanded in the support and partnership with our sisters and brothers in Haiti. I encourage you to continue your prayers, your active partnership in fundraising, and the solidarity that comes from learning about the situation and caring about the future. We all begin to experience more abundant life in caring for our neighbors. I give thanks for the treasure that is Haiti, and urge the faithful accompaniment of the whole Episcopal Church with Haiti!"

Pew Devotion: Why should we pray for you?

Editor’s note: Every day, we scour our Twitter account for the Bible scriptures and inspirational quotes for our daily devotion piece. This is day one of a new segment that allows us to put life in perspective and to grow in our daily walk.

A comment from LovLikeJesus last week drew on the importance of uplifting each other.

From Proverbs 27:17, the author writes, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” If you know of a brother or sister who is in a blight situation, pray for the individual. You don’t have to make it known to the person. Pray because you know the act is the godly thing to do. Allow God to intervene. God did not put us on this Earth to show ill will toward one another. Workers and volunteers for nonprofit organizations help people all the time because it is their belief that in order for people to be sharp in life, a caring individual must show compassion for them. Through the good and bad, we have to depend on other people. There are so many people dealing with issues today – unemployment, bad health, raising children, etc. There is nothing more powerful than prayer to help get through their struggles.

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In God’s eyes, underdogs always have their day

By Pastor Grelan Muse

Founder, Inside The Pew

BATON ROUGE, La. – Another great weekend of NFL playoff action has come and gone. The San Francisco 49ers shocked my New Orleans Saints on Jan. 14 to advance to the AFC Championship Game against the New York Giants on Jan. 22. And, I cannot go without mentioning the Jan. 8 heroics of one Tim Tebow, who led the Denver Broncos to an overtime victory against the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers.

Many felt the underdog 49ers would collapse to the offensive onslaught the Saints orchestrated during the season. In the end, the underdogs had different plans. Forty-niners coach Jim Harbaugh gave his players the greatest words of inspiration before the game. He told his men the team they were not supposed to be in the playoffs. Essentially, the 49ers were cast off. Excuse after excuse was given by naysayers, including the 49ers early dominance of their division, the NFC West.

Now that the dust has cleared, the underdog 49ers is still in the game. Just like the 49ers had their doubters, there are so many people in our society who have been pushed aside. But, God has not. The Almighty will never doubt our abilities. God’s children are not powerless, for it is He who is with us always. In Romans 8:31, it is declared that He is for us, therefore who can be against us. I am sure we all can relate to the story of an individual who overcame obstacles in life despite a sub par start to life. God’s unwavering love is what allows the underdog to keep going.

It is no mystery as to why God finds favor in the underdog. There are endless examples of how God used those who were not expected to push forward to do so. He took care of the Israelites in their despair, made Abraham the leader of nations, allowed Moses to part the Red Sea, used Joseph to save Israel’s sons from starvation, and chose David to be king.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:28-29, “God has chosen what is low and despised in the world, things that are not to reduce to nothing the things that are, so that no person might boast before God.”

Tarry on underdogs! Harsh life circumstances and critics who favor worldly thoughts will never dictate your story. God always has the final say.

Pastor Grelan Muse Sr. is founder of Emanuel and The Mainline Ministries Inc., a Baton Rouge, La., 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, and Inside The Pew (http://pewtalk2009.blogspot.com/), an online Christian publication. Connect with us @PewTalk on Twitter and @Inside The Pew on Facebook.

Coretta Scott King's 'dream'

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

On Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, we are celebrating Martin Luther King Day here in America and this yearly event has brought memories flooding back for me.

Coretta Scott King by a picture of her late
husband, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For it was back in 1969, when I was sent out on one of my first interviews as a new journalist with Billy Graham's London newspaper, The Christian. It was with Coretta Scott King and it took place many months after the murder of her husband on April 4, 1968.

Dr. King was cut down by a bullet from the gun of James Earl Ray, as he was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Ten.

We talked in the home of Canon John Collins of St. Paul's Cathedral just before Mrs. King was about to become the first woman to preach at a statutory service at the massive cathedral.

As I watched her four children scamper around the house – just like any other children of their age – I thought of the pain they must all have been through.

I looked at Mrs. King and asked if she was worried about suffering the same fate as her husband.

"I have lived with the threat so long now I hardly think about it," she said her eyes ablaze. "I must do what I must do!"

She glanced across the room at her four children, and added, "My children are with me in this."

Shortly after the interview, Mrs. King stood in the same carved pulpit in St. Paul's Cathedral where her husband preached five years earlier.

"Many despair at all the evil and unrest and disorder in the world today," she preached, "but I see a new social order and I see the dawn of a new day."

Mrs. King continued with the work of her late husband until her death on Jan. 30, 2006, at the age of 78. She had worked tirelessly for racial equality after he was assassinated and fought successfully for a national holiday in memory of him. She also founded The King Center in Atlanta to preserve his legacy.

Speaking in 2003 on the 40th anniversary of her husband's best known speech, Mrs. King urged the crowds to follow the peaceful path that he preached.

Just like her husband, she also had a dream!