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Christopher Closeup

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June 2014

June 12, 2014

The Power of God, Truth, and Unreasonable Leadership

Entrepreneur and education advocate Gary Chartrand wrote a book called "Unreasonable Leadership" a few years...

June 03, 2014

No Act of Service Was Beneath Him: Father Emil Kapaun’s Biographer on the Chaplain’s Legacy

“Every day was the day you were going to die. It was pretty much a...

May 2014

May 08, 2014

Faith, Chivalry & Timely Messages: A Look at Hallmark Channel’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”

"Being a gentleman doesn't make you a wuss." That's one of the truths that former...

May 05, 2014

Role Models, Celebrities Behaving Admirably, & Patheos’s Fifth Anniversary

Now that "Star Wars Day" is over (May the 4th be with you), it's time...

April 2014

April 15, 2014

When Your Baby’s Life is Expected to Be Brief: A Look at Perinatal Hospice and Palliative Care

Pregnancy is supposed to be a joyful time for a couple, but for Amy Kuebelbeck...

April 09, 2014

Faith, Freedom, Nonviolence, and Truth: The Legacy of Polish Martyr Father Jerzy Popieluszko

No praying out loud, no Mass, no rosaries, no group prayers. Those were the Polish...

April 01, 2014

Opening Your Heart to Adoption: One Woman’s Story

Though Christina Beahan grew up in a big Polish/Dutch family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the...

March 2014

March 04, 2014

TV That’s Changing Lives: A Look at “Bulloch Family Ranch: Season Two”

If Julie and Rusty Bulloch were innkeepers in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, they would have...

February 2014

February 26, 2014

The Road to Mercy Leads to a Life of Adventure for Author Kerry Weber

Kerry Weber insists that the Jesuit-run "America" magazine office, where she serves as managing editor,...

February 20, 2014

A New Musical About Bernadette of Lourdes

Frequent "Christopher Closeup" guest, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sarah Hart, has co-written a new musical theater production...

February 19, 2014

Dr. Kevin Hunt and Nicole Schreiner Bring Medicine & Compassion to Uganda’s Poor

Several pregnant women about to give birth lay on a cold cement floor, shivering due...

February 05, 2014

James Cagney in “A Link in the Chain”

If you're a fan of classic movies, you likely know Academy Award-winning actor James Cagney...

January 2014

January 27, 2014

UPDATE: Overcoming Troubles Leads to Life, Hope and a Grammy Award

I just read that former "Christopher Closeup" guest Mandisa won her first ever Grammy Award...

January 14, 2014

Pregnant Teen Finds Hope and Healing: A Look at the Movie “Gimme Shelter”

"Last time I asked for God's help, He put me here," 16-year-old Apple Bailey angrily...

January 09, 2014

Building the Deep Bonds of Spiritual Friendship

The following is the text of the Christopher News Note "Building Spiritual Friendships." If you'd...

December 2013

December 19, 2013

Christ is Born and All is Well

Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Sarah Hart has a gift for music and lyrics so it's a...

December 17, 2013

Making Christmas Happy and Holy

The following is the text of the Christopher News Note "Making Christmas Happy and Holy."...

December 07, 2013

Candace Cameron Bure Talks Jesus, Santa, Parenting, Priorities and Purpose

Actress Candace Cameron Bure, who grew up on television playing D.J. Tanner on the hit...

December 04, 2013

Reflections on the Advent of Christ

Author and theologian Dr. Edward Sri knows we're all familiar with the Christmas story, but...

November 2013

November 21, 2013

Tim Conway’s Hilarious (and Spiritual) Life

You should always follow your mother’s advice. Well, almost always. Consider this story that actor...

November 13, 2013

Build a Marriage That Taps Into God’s Love

“This is a generation that has a real fear about making marriage work, and they’re...

October 2013

October 23, 2013

Prostitutes, Addicts, Prayers and Dreams: Making the Broken Holy

“We made ourselves available in the corners and the crevices and the dark places in...

October 17, 2013

The Condition of Our Hearts Affects the Way We See: An Interview with Danny Gokey

“Fear and faith have one thing in common: they both ask you to believe in...

October 09, 2013

From History and Oppression to Body Image Issues: Author Melissa Kuch on the Themes in Her Novel

Being a huge history buff helped author Melissa Kuch ground her debut young adult fantasy...

October 03, 2013

Love Turns Despair Into Hope: The LaHood Family’s Ministry to Disabled Children

When Dan LaHood was in second grade at St. John Baptist De La Salle grammar...

September 2013

September 25, 2013

Embracing the Darkness to Find the Light: Audrey Assad on Faith, Doubt, and “Breaking Bad”

“For God judged it better to bring good out of evil than not to permit...

September 18, 2013

A Musical Journey Through Grief: From Despair and Anger at God to Hope and Healing

“I asked you for the light. You gave me a long dark night.” Grammy nominated...

July 2013

July 23, 2013

Sadness is Part of the Equation: A Young Widow Reflects on Her Loss

In mid-June, I posted an interview with "Tell My Sons" author, Lt. Col. Mark Weber,...

July 17, 2013

The American Family at Its Best: A look at UP TV’s “Bulloch Family Ranch”

Julie and Rusty Bulloch's ranch in Lakeland, Florida, sits upon acres of dirt and grass....

June 2013

June 14, 2013

Lt. Col. Mark Weber’s Operation True Grit: A Husband and Father’s Final Legacy

(Editor’s Note: My interview with Lt. Col. Mark Weber was recorded a few weeks ago,...