By the Amazing Facts Webmaster

Recently, I was at the grocery store picking up a few items. When I got to the cashier at the checkout line, I tried to engage her in conversation by asking a few simple questions. (I find it’s easier to share materials with people if you’ve broken the ice.) I asked if “things were crazy there lately,” and she said yes, commenting on how rapidly their recent shipment of toilet paper had disappeared.

As she was finishing up, she asked me if I needed a bag. I told her no and pulled mine out and set it on the counter. She said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were not allowed to touch our bags and that I would have to bag my own groceries. After she told me this, the thought went through my mind that “she probably won’t take any material that I try to give to her.” So I bagged up my groceries and left without attempting to share any tracts or DVDs with her.^*

That left me wondering: “How do we share our faith during a lockdown?” 

Right now, if you knock on someone’s door, they're not likely to answer it. If you try to hand them a tract, they may not take it. Even having face-to-face Bible studies with people is more of a challenge now.

Yet, at this time, people are wondering what on earth is happening. They’re wondering what all of these rapid changes mean, and they want answers. As Christians who understand Bible prophecy, we have the answers that they need, but circumstances have made it more challenging to give those answers the way that we used to.

So here are a few ideas on ways that you can reach out to people and share your faith during the coronavirus lockdown: [PQ-HERE]

1. Use Your Phone!

One of the pastors at our church is continuing to have Bible studies with people but instead of going to their homes, he’s doing it over the phone. Also, many people who may not be Christians appreciate prayer and would not pass up an opportunity to pray with someone. Lots of people are out of work and don’t know what to do or where to turn—so give somebody a buzz and see what happens.

2. Use Social Media! 

Many more people are online now. If you have a social media account, instead of posting only cat videos, post something of substance that speaks to the times in an intelligent and informed way. Ask thought-provoking questions and see what kind of dialogue it generates. You may find many opportunities to share as others express their thoughts and concerns about the things that are happening right now.

3. Use Text Messages! 

Who doesn’t have a cell phone nowadays? I personally don’t have a smartphone, but texting still works on my “dumb” phone! Send Bible verses or inspirational quotes to people. And if you don’t have a cell phone, you can still send text messages if you have a Google Voice account, which is free.

4. Use Snail Mail! 

Although someone might not take a tract directly from your hand at this time, they would likely have no problem if they got it in the mail. Lots of people are stuck at home and, quite honestly, they’re bored! Send them something to read or watch. A friend of mine mentioned that they were looking up random names and addresses in the phone book and sending an uplifting card with a Bible tract in it. What a great idea! 

I felt inspired by that and, over the weekend, I hand-wrote a brief letter to several neighbors on a nearby street and placed a Final Events of Bible Prophecy and Kingdoms in Time DVD, as well as an 8 Amazing Steps to Optimize Your Health and Ancient Prophecies That Reveal the Future! Amazing Fact Tracts.

I hand-wrote the notes because people are more likely to open a handwritten envelope and to read a handwritten letter. If you choose to do this, you can put your name or just identify yourself as a friend or neighbor; it’s up to you, but it’s a great way to share with people while they’re under lockdown. (Here is a link to the letter that I sent out with the materials. Feel free to use and modify it as you see fit: Dear-Friend.pdf.)

How are you sharing your faith at this time? Please share your ideas in the comments below. Others might be inspired by what you’re doing! Just because we’re under lock-down doesn't mean that we can’t be about our Father’s business. Let’s be prayerful and look for creative ways to reach out to others.

*Just a note, I still should have offered her a resource and allowed her to decide if she wanted it or not. The next store I went to, instead of assuming that the cashier wouldn't take anything, I asked him if I could give him something. The young man said, “It depends on what it is.” I pulled a Final Events of Bible Prophecy DVD out of my purse, and he said, ‘Oh yeah! I'll take that.’ Praise the Lord! But what if I had not offered it?

Emily Ligawiec has to sign in visitors to the recovery program she attends in a grand Victorian house in Holyoke, Mass. She can't bring people to her room. She only recently earned phone and car privileges. "We get 24, 48, 72-hour passes every weekend," she said. But Ligawiec doesn't mind the restrictions. The 29-year-old is grateful she's alive to follow them, after a decade of addiction — first to prescription painkillers, then pills she bought in the street, then heroin. "I had gone down a pretty dark path," she said. What finally turned her around was a 911 call last winter. She had gotten high on heroin and stolen her mother's car. When she returned it a few hours later, Officer John Cacela of Ware, Mass., was waiting in the driveway. In the past, Cacela might have immediately read Ligawiec her rights, "because for the longest time, the whole idea was — arrest, arrest," he said. Instead, he tapped on the car window and assured her she wasn't in trouble. "I closed the window on him

the thing is that all that is offered is futility ... i could make you run to the sky says the great keeper of the lie i am the reason why you medicate i am the reason why you hate turn away and find something small to occupy your time turn away and find something small to occupy your mind i could give you vast kingdoms i could give you the song of the sea i could give you the heart of the crane i could give you eternity turn away and find something small to occupy your time turn away and find something small to occupy your mind there's no sense in standing on that rock there's no sense in praying to the clock there's no sense in counting all the stripes there's no sense believing all the hypes turn away and find something small to occupy your time turn away and find something small to occupy your mind

I've always hated this song. But digging through my old sheet music I found a midcentury piano treatment that made it much more melancholy and interesting, so I decided to give the tune a synthesizer treatment and marry it up to the vocals to see if I couldn't do some damage. Also my first attempt at using Ableton, sorry for any production missteps.

DAVID BIANCULLI, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. I'm David Bianculli, editor of the website TV Worth Watching, sitting in for Terry Gross. Today on FRESH AIR, one of our favorite interviews from our archive - Terry's conversation with comedian, actor and writer Steve Martin. He's also an accomplished bluegrass musician and has been posting occasional videos on social media playing banjo in the woods. Last month he visited CBS's "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert in a special socially distanced comedy bit with Colbert sequestered inside his house and Martin with his guitar, strolling in a forest, determined to sing a song that Colbert is just as determined not to hear. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LATE SHOW") STEPHEN COLBERT: So we go now live to Steve Martin in the middle of the woods. Hi, Steve. STEVE MARTIN: Hey, Stephen. Thanks for having me on. COLBERT: Well, Steve, you're certainly welcome. MARTIN: You know, Stephen, I was thinking that something we as people need to remember right now

Updated at 11:43 a.m. ET The Labor Department delivered a historically bad employment report Friday, showing 20.5 million jobs lost last month as the nation locked down against the coronavirus. The jobless rate soared to 14.7% — the highest level since the Great Depression. The highest monthly job loss before this was 2 million in 1945, as the nation began to demobilize after World War II. The worst monthly job loss during the Great Recession was 800,000 in March 2009. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. Unemployment was 4.4% in March as the coronavirus began to take hold in the U.S. It approached 25% during the Great Depression and remained elevated until World War II. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. The carnage was felt across industries in April. With most travel shut down, leisure and hospitality jobs fell by 7.6 million. The retail and health care sectors each dropped by 2.1 million. Manufacturing lost 1.3 million and government jobs fell by 980

Live performances from Shovels & Rope, Cris Jacobs, Kelsey Waldon, Wayne Graham, and Tyler Grant & Robin Kessinger. Recorded in Charleston, WV Sunday Oct. 06, 2019. Support provided by Adventures on the Gorge. https://adventuresonthegorge.com/

On this edition of Two Way Street we feature a conversation with Denene Millner. She’s a best-selling author, blogger and television personality. Denene’s blog, "My Brown Baby," has become one of the most popular resources for black mothers because it‘s devoted to helping them navigate the tricky waters of raising a black child today.

In an age when we all seem to be talking at each other, Virginia Prescott thinks we need to do a better job listening.

On this episode of Two Way Street, we hear from two Southern writers from the Decatur Book Festival. In front of an audience at the festival, new host Virginia Prescott interviews authors Rick Bragg and Armistead Maupin on the way their Southern heritage shapes their writing.

On this edition of "Two Way Street," Georgia musician Adron stops by to talk and play a few songs from her new album "Water Music" before setting sail for the west coast. We also hear from a woman who made a career of saying goodbye: Kay Powell.

In honor of the Ken Burns series Country Music , Bill Nigut is taking over the On Second Thought Sunday time slot with a special edition of Two Way Street. This episode features his conversation with the legendary Brenda Lee, an artist featured in sections of the documentary.

Updated at 11:43 a.m. ET The Labor Department delivered a historically bad employment report Friday, showing 20.5 million jobs lost last month as the nation locked down against the coronavirus. The jobless rate soared to 14.7% — the highest level since the Great Depression. The highest monthly job loss before this was 2 million in 1945, as the nation began to demobilize after World War II. The worst monthly job loss during the Great Recession was 800,000 in March 2009. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. Unemployment was 4.4% in March as the coronavirus began to take hold in the U.S. It approached 25% during the Great Depression and remained elevated until World War II. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. The carnage was felt across industries in April. With most travel shut down, leisure and hospitality jobs fell by 7.6 million. The retail and health care sectors each dropped by 2.1 million. Manufacturing lost 1.3 million and government jobs fell by 980

Is Calvin’s doctrine of predestination biblical—or could it actually lead a soul to eternal loss? Pastor Doug explores the ramifications of once saved, always saved.

What will happen on college campuses in the fall? It's a big question for families, students and the schools themselves. A lot of what happens depends on factors outside the control of individual schools: Will there be more testing? Contact tracing? Enough physical space for distancing? Will the coronavirus have a second wave? Will any given state allow campuses to reopen? For all of these questions, it's really too early to know the answers. But one thing is clear: Life, and learning for the nation's 20 million students in higher education, will be different. "I don't think there's any scenario under which it's business as usual on American college campuses in the fall," says Nicholas Christakis, a sociologist and physician at Yale University. So why are so many colleges announcing they will be back on campus in the fall? In many cases, it's because they're still trying to woo students. A survey of college presidents found their most pressing concern right now is summer and fall

Returning with another pop gem, UK artist Harry Strange releases the melancholic dark-pop single "Turn Away." Following the previous EARMILK approved single "Four In The Morning", this new track takes a different approach to songwriting by delving into moodier melodies and sadder lyricism. Submerged in hazy synths and infectious underlying bass grooves, "Turn Away" captures […]

The post Harry Strange reveals dark-pop single "Turn Away" appeared first on EARMILK.

Nico had cancer and couldn’t attend church, but your gifts brought church to Nico and his family. Many people are in difficult circumstances and cannot easily connect with a local church—but when you support Amazing Facts, you bring God’s truth to people isolated by challenging situations. Thank you for changing lives for eternity!

Updated at 11:43 a.m. ET The Labor Department delivered a historically bad employment report Friday, showing 20.5 million jobs lost last month as the nation locked down against the coronavirus. The jobless rate soared to 14.7% — the highest level since the Great Depression. The highest monthly job loss before this was 2 million in 1945, as the nation began to demobilize after World War II. The worst monthly job loss during the Great Recession was 800,000 in March 2009. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. Unemployment was 4.4% in March as the coronavirus began to take hold in the U.S. It approached 25% during the Great Depression and remained elevated until World War II. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. The carnage was felt across industries in April. With most travel shut down, leisure and hospitality jobs fell by 7.6 million. The retail and health care sectors each dropped by 2.1 million. Manufacturing lost 1.3 million and government jobs fell by 980

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan and State Theater executive director Russ Collins about all of the new flicks and special events the Michigan Theater is providing for your online viewing pleasure this weekend. Plus, they talk about how WEMU and the Michigan Theater fared during this week's National Day of Giving.

http://www.musicxray.com/xrays/1319782 Grazehopp Music - Crazy Eye Chiwi | Breakaway

This episode was originally published on Oct. 12, 2018. Choosing a major is a rite of passage for higher education students, and it can feel like a – dare we say it –major decision with lifelong implications. In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT’s Jennifer Stayton...

“The only thing constant is change.” That saying, or some derivation of it, is attributed to the ancience Greek philosopher Heraclitus around 500 BC. But it certainly rings as true now as it did then. In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT’s Jennifer Stayton discuss preparing...

"Song Exploder's" Hrishikesh Hirway explains how hearing "Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera," at the age of 6 helped him understand a feeling that he would be able to draw inspiration from for his entire life. Basia Bulat explains why a live version of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me," changed her life.

Hrishikesh Hirway describes how hearing Asha Bhosle’s “Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera,” at the age of 6 helped him understand a feeling that he would be able to draw inspiration from for his entire life. Then Thao Nguyen explains how Lucinda Williams helped her understand the power of "the good hurt."

"God will do things for us when we pray that He will not do if we do not pray." (GC, 525) As the new year and the new decade begin, let us surrender and rededicate our lives to Him ; let us pray. As Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross elaborate, we must wait on the Lord, even in the darkness, the confusion and in the desperation. Open His Word with us as we study about prayer, the "golden rule", the secret rapture and the immortal soul during this first edition of Bible Answers Live of the new decade.

Two years ago this coming Thursday, the online music business stopped being a joke. When Apple Computer opened its iTunes Music Store for business on April 28, 2003, people finally had a song-downloads destination that provided a fair value for the money.
-Rob Pegoraro

I want to teach myself to sew by replicating this apron, probably many, many times. I bought the apron; what next?

After spending a lot of the past couple of months in a Bon Appétit rabbit hole (thanks MeFi!), I'm obsessed with this apron that seems to be favored by many of the presenters. Despite its ridiculous price, I went ahead and bought one as a bit of retail therapy.

Well, it arrived today and I loooooove it. I want to give them to all my friends and family, and I want ten of them hanging in my own pantry, but spending $5K on linen aprons from France isn't on the agenda.

So, no time like the present to merge this motivation with another long-standing goal, which is to get competent with my sewing machine, a Singer from... maybe the early '90s? It was given to me by a friend about ten years ago, and since then I have used it three times, always with a more experienced helper to thread the machine, help cut the pieces, etc. The last time it came out of the closet was at least four years ago, so please assume that I am starting from zero.

I have watched a fair amount of Project Runway, but despite that I do not really know where to begin :) This tutorial seems reasonable easy to follow to make a pattern, but... then what? Is there anything more to it than just trying and trying again, presuming I can't ask or hire anyone for help in the foreseeable future? What is the absolute cheapest fabric I can practice on that will help me not ruin the first few yards of linen that I (with luck) will ultimately graduate to? Can I just use reasonably-sized rags/old clothes from the basement?

Any general tips on learning to sew on your own as an adult are also welcome!

What do you want from Wayne Krantz anyway? It's a particularly relevant question when new release time rolls around for the guitar icon(oclast). Not that Krantz himself seems to give the question much thought. He's more known for being preoccupied with things like inventing (and reinventing) himself, exploring and capturing ineffable group mojo, or pushing the envelope toward things he has yet to try or accomplish... [ read more ]

A recount by hand of 2.9 million votes began Wednesday to determine the winner of the closest gubernatorial race in state history.

The Republicans, true to their vow to leave no vote unwooed, came to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania hoping to win over the famously reclusive Old Order Amish, along with their slightly less-strict brethren, the Mennonites. Democrats laughed at the very idea. But the GOP effort did the trick.

Here's a look at how the Pac-12 stacked up against other conferences during the NFL draft.

Eating should be a pleasure — and when you can take care of your health while taking care of your cravings, it’s doubly fulfilling. Here’s how to eat for your eyes.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — At one hot, faraway world, it’s always cloudy with a chance of iron rain. That’s the otherworldly forecast from Swiss and other European astronomers who have detected clouds full of iron droplets at a hot Jupiterlike planet 390 light-years away. This mega planet is so hot on the sunny side […]

If self-isolating or social-distancing to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus has been stressful, you can get a much-needed mental-health boost by getting some sunshine, exercise and fresh air -- as long as you stay away from others.

Here's a look at how the Pac-12 stacked up against other conferences during the NFL draft.

A low-bridge closure would divert the remaining 8,000 to 15,000 daily vehicles that still cross the Duwamish Waterway there.

A wrong-way driver died early Friday near Auburn after heading south in the northbound High Occupancy Vehicle lane on Highway 167 near Highway 516 and crashing head-on into another vehicle, injuring that driver, according to the Washington State Patrol. State police said the 33-year-old Tacoma woman, whose name is not being released pending the notification […]

Since 2012, the top of the Mercer Street Garage near Seattle Center has been home to a P-Patch. But that's going to end next year to make room for fans of Seattle's new NHL team.

The Pacific Bonsai Museum did not provide a dollar value for the trees, but called one "truly irreplaceable" and said both were at risk of damage or death if not returned to the museum's care.

The 2020 Northwest Flower & Garden Festival is Wednesday, Feb. 26, through Sunday, March 1, at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

As Mother’s Day approaches, staff writer Megan Burbank thanks her mother for instilling in her a love for screwball heroines, old movies and strong female role models.

For every fist pump from Tiger Woods, there are images of Greg Norman’s lonely walk across Hogan Bridge as he loses the last of his six-shot lead and heads for more heartache at the Masters. Jack Nicklaus had his famous charge on the back nine. Ed Sneed infamously lost a three-shot lead with bogeys on […]

A 70-year-old mother in Portland, Ore., thought she was most at risk in her family for the coronavirus. Her fears became real for her adult son in Utah — and all she could do was stand by for word.

Here's a look at how the Pac-12 stacked up against other conferences during the NFL draft.

As Mother’s Day approaches, staff writer Megan Burbank thanks her mother for instilling in her a love for screwball heroines, old movies and strong female role models.

THE CREATORS: Through the elegant, artistic lights she designs, creates and installs, Conway transforms places, perceptions and experiences.

Bill Gates is stepping down from the board of Microsoft Corp., the company he co-founded in 1975.

Despite the wind, rain, fog and cold, there are plenty of Seattle-area hikers who love to get outdoors during the inclement weather of winter. Here are their tips for enjoying Washington's trails, no matter the season.