NFL Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly shares parenting plays in new book

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ANS) – NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly shares fatherhood advice in his new book The Playbook for Dads - with Ted Kluck – (FaithWords/Hachette Book Group, September 2012).

Kelly, who spent 11 eleven seasons as quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, helped lead the team to the playoffs eight times, including four Super Bowls. The Kellys have shared Hunter's story all over the world and in Jill's book, Without a Word.

Relaying insider information on his toughest job, Kelly tackles 10 important lessons that fathers should be sharing with their children.

"Being a father is hard work," writes Kelly. "It's hard work just like being a quarterback was hard, relentless work … But I can honestly say that it's the greatest, most important job in the world."

According to a news release, relating personal experiences on and off the field to fatherhood, Kelly walks fathers through his game plan, challenging them to coach their children through 10 important lessons: thankfulness, confidence, respect, preparation, passion, perseverance, character, responsibility, teamwork, and spiritual life.

"It seems like many of these principles are fading away in our society, and I think it's our job as fathers to preserve them and pass them along to our children," writes Kelly.

In September 1997, three months after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with a fatal disease, Jim and his wife, Jill, founded the Hunter's Hope Foundation. Sadly, Hunter died at age 8 from Krabbe diesease.

Each parenting lesson begins with a letter to his late son and ends with a letter to his two daughters, Cam and Erin. Kelly shares details of his and his wife Jill's journey to Christianity after the passing of their son, and how that experience has changed their lives for the better – forever.

FaithWords publishes books for the growing inspirational market. Based near Nashville, Tenn., FaithWords has grown dramatically by acquiring a solid list of faith-building fiction and high-profile authors with edifying messages, including best-selling authors Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, John Eldredge, and David Jeremiah. Several FaithWords titles have appeared on national best-seller lists, most recently Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen, Living Beyond Your Feelings by Joyce Meyer and I Never Thought I'd See the Day! by David Jeremiah.

Gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas' strength is in the Lord

Gabby's tweet before All-Around competition: 'Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me'

By Aimee Herd

Special to ASSIST News Service

Gabrielle Douglas displays her gold medal

LONDON, UK (ANS) -- One of the favorites for Team USA this Olympics has been 16-year-old Gabrielle Douglas, who helped her team garner gold in women's gymnastics. She also competed in the All-Around competition, along with teammate Aly Raisman, and Gabrielle took gold once again.

Setting Gabrielle – affectionately called "Gabby" by her teammates and fans – apart is her willingness to share with the press, Facebook and Twitter friends, about what gives her strength, courage and peace in the midst of the fierce contest of skill: her faith, and relationship with the Lord.

Upon learning that she and her fellow USA gymnasts had won gold, she posted on Facebook, "We are the 2012 London Olympic Gold Medalists!!! We are all so happy right now. It's a dream come true! Gotta give God the Glory! Thank you everyone for praying for me! It means so much to me! Now I have to prepare for the All-Around competition! I am so excited! Gabby."

In an Us Weekly interview, Gabby said, "Right before a competition I pray and listen to music." And when she was asked by the press how she focuses and stays calm when surrounded by the immense pressure of the Olympic competition, the teen replied that she meditates on Bible Scripture.

In evidence of that, on the morning of the All-Around competition, Gabby tweeted, "Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me."

A video posted on Crosswalk describes the journey Gabby and her family has taken on her road to the Olympics, including the difficult decision by her mother Natalie – a single mom – to allow her youngest daughter at 14 to move halfway across the country to train.

Despite the cultural differences, Gabby found a second home with her host family in Des Moines, Iowa, and the move for intense training paid off.

Watch the moving video here.

Media pundit says ‘Hollywood out of step with Middle America' as domestic movie ticket sales plummet again

By Michael Ireland

ASSIST News Service

Domestic ticket sales for movies continued to plummet in 2011 from their highs in the early 2000s, according to figures released recently by Hollywood.

The highs occurred while The Lord of the Rings, The Passion of the Christ, and Spider-Man ruled the box office.

Ted Baehr

Media scholar Ted Baehr, founder and chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, thinks many in Hollywood have lost touch with Middle America.

“They don't know how to market to the average American who is a churchgoing Christian who believes in God, country, and family,” Baehr told ANS. 

For instance, Baehr noted that industry figures show that Hollywood is making more and more R-rated movies, even though such movies are making less and less money. 

According to The Numbers, a box office website, Hollywood released 205 R rated movies in 2011 but only 184 in 2009, and 193 in 2010. Yet, the average R-rated movie in 2011 made only $10.8 million in 2011, compared to $12.6 million in 2010, and $14.9 million in 2009.

In comparison, G-rated movies averaged $34.6 million in 2011 when 18 G movies were released, $56.6 million in 2010 when nine G movies were released, and $19.9 million in 2009 when 15 G movies were released. 

“That means G-rated movies can make up to three or five times as much money as R-rated movies,” Baehr pointed out. “They also far outperform R-rated movies on DVD and Blu-Ray.”

“PG movies also do much better on average,” Baehr added. 

Baehr will release more statistics on what movies did the best at the box office and on home video at the 20th Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry, to be held Feb. 10 at the Universal Hilton Hotel in the heart of Hollywood. 

“Year in and year out, our statistics show that moviegoers prefer family-friendly movies with positive Christian, wholesome, patriotic, conservative, and traditional moral values,” Baehr said.

To help you pick the good from the bad, please visit daily at www.movieguide.org.