Many people are frustrated with today’s cancer treatments. They are expensive, painful and often just don’t work.

However, there is a new cancer treatment that is free, has virtually no side effects, and can be used in conjunction with other cancer treatments.

It involves cutting out carbohydrates, beginning with the worst carb of all—sugar.

Killing Cancer

Dr. Fred Hatfield is an impressive guy: a power-lifting champion, author of dozens of books, a millionaire businessman with a beautiful wife. But he’ll tell you his greatest accomplishment is killing his cancer just in the nick of time.

“The doctors gave me three months to live because of widespread metastatic cancer in my skeletal structure,” he recalled. “Three months, three different doctors told me that same thing.”

His wife Gloria remembers it well.

“It’s a horrible, horrible feeling to have someone tell you that the person you love only has three months to live and you’re not going to be with him any more,” she said.

While Hatfield was preparing to die, he heard about an anti-cancer diet, also known as metabolic therapy. With nothing to lose, he gave it a try and was shocked when it actually worked.

“The cancer was gone!” he exclaimed. “Completely. To this day there’s no trace of it. And it’s been over a year.”

Starving Bad Cells

Although it wasn’t easy, Hatfield stopped eating carbohydrates, which turn into glucose inside your body. Cancer cells love glucose and need it so badly, that if you stop giving it to them, they die.

“It just absolutely amazes me that medical science is just now finding this out,” he said.

Hatfield’s cancer recovery, however, was not a surprise to Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, who researches metabolic therapy. When he and his team of scientists at the University of South Florida removed carbohydrates from the diets of lab mice, the mice survived highly aggressive metastatic cancer even better than when they were treated with chemotherapy.

“We have dramatically increased survival with metabolic therapy,” he said. “So we think it’s important to get this information out.”

It’s not just lab mice. Dr. D’Agostino has also seen similar success in people – lots of them.

“I’ve been in correspondence with a number of people,” he said. “At least a dozen over the last year-and-a-half to two years, and all of them are still alive, despite the odds. So this is very encouraging.”

The Ketogenic Diet

All cells, including cancer cells, are fueled by glucose. But if you deprive them of glucose, they switch to the alternate fuel, ketone bodies.

Except cancer cells. A defect prevents them from making the switch to using ketone bodies as fuel and therefore, cancer cells can only survive on glucose. All other cells can use either glucose or ketone bodies.

“Your normal cells have the metabolic flexibility to adapt from using glucose to using ketone bodies. But cancer cells lack this metabolic flexibility. So we can exploit that,” Dr. D’Agostino explained.

People like Hatfield, who want to deprive their cells of glucose and fuel them with ketone bodies instead, eat what’s known as a ketogenic diet. It consists of almost zero carbohydrates, but lots of natural proteins and fats.

Gloria said the food on the ketogenic diet is in every grocery store and is pretty easy to prepare.

“You can go online and there’s cook books,” she said, “It’s clean eating. Just very clean eating, none of the sugars, the salts, the trash food.”

“Natural” proteins are ones that are in their original form. On the other hand, “processed” meats, like cold cuts and hot dogs, are off-limits because often carbohydrates have been added to them.

Similarly, “natural” fats are whole foods, like olive oil, avocados, and nuts. Stay away from “trans” fats, such as shortening or margarine, any oil that is hydrogenated. Trans fats are man-made.

Safe & Healthy

Sometimes people are afraid to try the ketogenic diet because they think eating fat like this is bad for your heart. But more doctors say as long as it’s natural, fat is good for you, even saturated fat like coconut oil and butter.

“Is cholesterol the major cause of heart disease?” cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra asked. “Absolutely not.”

In his book, The Great Cholesterol Myth, Dr. Sinatra said the real cause of heart disease is inflammation, which comes from eating too many carbohydrates.

“We need to coach our patients and empower our patients about the dangers of sugar,” he said. “Unfortunately, they’re not hearing that. They’re hearing the converse, the dangers of fat. Fat is healthy for you, as long as you avoid trans fats.”

So by cutting back on carbohydrates and eating natural fats and proteins, you could improve your heart health and even wipe out cancer.

Additional Information:

The ketogenic diet has also proven successful in treating epilepsy. For more information, go to The Charlie Foundation.

For the original article, visit CBN.com.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of two articles from author Jermaine Hamwright on living up to our potential.

Playing a good game of golf is not easy. It requires focus and steadfast concentration. You need to know the rules of the game and understand how to use the tools at hand in any terrain.

Mastering golf takes time, dedication, commitment, and a willingness to learn new techniques in order to continuously improve. Played well, golf can be highly rewarding. When you think about it, the game of golf is a lot like the game of life.

Take a close look at a golf ball. What do you see? Hundreds of little dents, right? Each dent is a seeming imperfection. But the truth is that all those tiny dimples that we might consider imperfections are what make a golf ball perfect for its intended purpose. Without them, the golf ball wouldn’t be able to travel as far or as straight. Isn’t it ironic that these strategically placed imperfections are the very things that make each golf ball soar toward its destiny?

If life is like a game of golf, then you and I, my friends, are like golf balls. We have little (and sometimes not so little) imperfections all over. And we lament these imperfections, don’t we? We lament our lives not being perfect. Often we ask ourselves questions that have no real answers, questions like, “Why did this tragedy happen to me? Why am I so different? Don’t I deserve what everyone else seems to have?”

These are the moments when we need to bring to mind the following beautiful words from the Bible (KJV), from the Book of Psalms:

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalms 139:14)

We may not realize it, and we may not know the reasons, but we were made to be imperfect! It’s true. The very imperfections that we lament, combined with every other aspect of ourselves, make us who and what we are. Like the dimples in a golf ball, our dents give us the potential to soar. As the Bible states in the following verse (New American Standard Version):

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

It might not be easy to rejoice in our imperfections. I can understand this. But remember, you were given each and every imperfection for a reason. The whole collection of who you are—the skills and talents, the strengths, the gifts, and yes, the flaws and limitations—can accomplish great things in life. So instead of resenting your imperfections, try acknowledging them. Make the best of them, and use them to soar!

You’re fine the way you are. As in golf, you can certainly learn new things and improve yourself in many areas. But never let your perceived flaws stop you from going after your dreams, your goals, your aspirations. Because it’s these very flaws that give you your greatest potential. And now that you know that, it’s time to G.O.L.F. into your purpose.

Jermaine Hamwright, author of Get The FACTS: Successful Relationships From A Guy’s Point Of View, is a human resources specialist with the U.S. Army with a background in business administration. He has served on several tours including: Operation Noble Eagle 2002-2004, Operation Iraqi Freedom 2005-2006, and Operation Iraqi Freedom 2008-2009.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused the international community of “deafening silence” in response to recent vows by the head of the Hamas terrorist group to fight on until the Jewish state is destroyed, and appeared unmoved by the gathering storm of global condemnation of his government’s plans to continue settlement construction.

These accusations came after the European Union warned Israel of unspecified consequences Monday if it goes through with plans to build thousands of new settler homes in Jerusalem and E1. 

Netanyahu’s tough words were likely to deepen the rift between Israel and some of its closest allies, particularly in Europe, which has emerged since the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of Palestinian statehood last month.

The bloc’s 27 foreign ministers said they were “deeply dismayed” by Israeli plans to expand settlements in east Jerusalem and particularly the E1 project, which, it was claimed, would separate the West Bank from east Jerusalem, the Palestinians’ hoped-for capital, and drive a large wedge between the northern and southern flanks of the West Bank.

“The E1 plan, if implemented, would seriously undermine the prospects of a negotiated resolution of the conflict by jeopardizing the possibility of a contiguous and viable Palestinian state and of Jerusalem as the capital of two states,” the ministers said in a joint statement. “It could also entail forced transfer of civilian populations.”

After the E.U. issued its condemnation, Netanyahu spoke to foreign reporters and accused the international community of having double standards, condemning not-yet-built settlements in Judea and Samaria while standing quiet during a historic visit to the Gaza Strip by Hamas’ exiled leader, Khaled Mashaal.

Making his first trip to the Hamas-ruled territory over the weekend, Mashaal delivered a series of speeches to throngs of supporters vowing to wipe Israel off the map. The visit underscored Hamas’ rising clout and regional acceptance since its eight-day conflict with Israel last month.

Netanyahu also directed his ire at Hamas’ rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, for not speaking out.

“This weekend the leader of Hamas, sitting next to the Hamas leader of Gaza, a man who praised Osama bin Laden, openly called for the destruction of Israel. Where was the outrage? Where were the U.N. resolutions? Where was (Palestinian Authority) President Abbas?” Netanyahu said.

“Why weren’t Palestinian diplomats summoned to European and other capitals to explain why the PA president not only refused to condemn this but actually declared his intention to unite with Hamas. There was nothing, there was silence and it was deafening silence.”

Netanyahu has long complained that the world unfairly singles out Israel for criticism. In Monday’s address, he accused the United Nations of passing an unbalanced resolution that supported Palestinian independence but did not address Israeli security concerns.

On Tuesday Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also addressed the recent EU condemnation of Israeli settlement construction, telling Israel Radio that Europe was “once again, ignoring calls to destroy Israel” and recalling the United States’ lack of action in the 1940s despite the knowledge of the goings on in Nazi concentration camps.

“Hamas leaders are openly declaring that their objective is to destroy Israel, and that they refuse to recognize Israel,” Lieberman said. “Abbas supports this view, and Europe is silent.”

Accusing the EU of “slapping Israel in the face” in condemning its settlement policy, Lieberman added that “those who sacrifice the Jews and Israel today need to realize that they will be next.”

Also Monday, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Europe’s political view of the Mideast had changed profoundly since Israel announced plans to build 3,000 new settler homes.

Bildt, speaking as ministers gathered for Monday’s E.U. meeting in Brussels, said the Israeli plans had caused “extreme concern” in Europe.

“What the Israelis did on E1 has shifted opinions in Europe,” Bildt said. “I don’t think the Israelis are aware of this.”

Some advocacy groups want the E.U. to prohibit the sale of goods made by Israeli settlers from being labeled as made in Israel. The labeling issue may come up but was not officially on the agenda.

The E.U. foreign ministers’ conclusions from the meeting that were published on Monday had in fact condemned Hamas.

“The European Union will never stop opposing those who embrace and promote violence as a way to achieve political goals. The E.U. finds inflammatory statements by Hamas leaders that deny Israel’s right to exist unacceptable,” the E.U. statement read.

However, the condemnation of Hamas appears at clause No. 9 of 10 points published by the E.U. and comes after a succession of condemnations of Israel for E1 construction, which itself was the reason the foreign ministers had convened. The E.U.’s Hamas mention also stops short of calling on the organization to take any action or change its ways.

For the original article, visit IsraelHayom.com.

Eric Célérier was a 22-year-old new Christian, looking for work.

Sure, he had three years of French cooking school under his belt, but he felt God was calling him to do something else.

But what?

A new believer—someone from his church—asked him if he would be interested working for the 1986 Billy Graham Crusade coming to Paris.

“I said I don’t know who Billy Graham is,” Célérier said. “But I’m looking for a job.”

More than a quarter of a century later, Célérier, wearing his trademark ultra-hip European eye-glass frames, smiled as he looked out across the dining room at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove.

More than 100 people from more than 20 countries involved in Jesus.net— the Internet evangelism movement he founded—had gathered in Asheville, N.C., for a five-day conference with one unified purpose: using the Internet to reach people for Jesus.

“I praise God every day,” the modest Frenchman said. “It’s really a movement of God.”

The Night That Changed His Heart
It was a simple prayer that night, but it’s about the only thing Célérier can point to as to why God has blessed the Jesus.net ministry.

It was one of the final nights in the September 1986 Crusade at Paris’ Bercy Stadium, which drew an estimated 100,000 over five nights. Célérier had been asked to sit up on the stage with Graham, George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows, among others.

Célérier was wearing “four or five” different hats by the time the crusade unfolded, starting off putting stamps on envelopes and moving into the counseling and follow-up ministries.

It’s been 26 years since that night sitting on stage, but Célérier can still remember the firsthand view of Graham preaching and a front-row view of thousands flooding the stage to give their life to Jesus.

“I saw him preaching and it really impacted my life,” Célérier said. “When I saw all the people come to receive Christ, I said a prayer. I told God I want to be an evangelist. I want to win people to Christ like this man.”

Little did Célérier know that several decades later, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association would be partnering with his vision, which is now Jesus.net and is reaching millions around the world with the gospel.

“It started there,” Célérier said. “That was my prayer.

“Maybe God was laughing or smiling at the time, but saying one day you’ll see.”

Connecting With the Local Church
Tracing the steps of exactly when the online evangelism movement began is a little like figuring out who really invented the Internet.

Célérier recalls 1997 as the first time he started building tools for online evangelism, and 2001 when the first evangelistic website went live.

But April 2005 was when the Knowing God website—the model that BGEA is using for PeaceWithGod.net— went live.

In the 7 1/2 years since launching in France, Célérier has seen more than 36.8 million people click on one of the Jesus.net websites that deliver a gospel presentation through video format and then ask users to pray to receive Christ.

More than 4.5 million people have indicated they prayed to receive Christ and roughly 25 percent of those have filled out a personal information form, which has been used to send discipleship material as well as help new believers get plugged into a local church.

“Recording decisions is just one step. It’s a measurement, not a goal,” he said. “The goal is that they would grow in their faith and get involved in a church.”

A network of 330 churches has signed on to help new Christians grow in their faith. Célérier’s team in France has worked hard to make sure new followers of Christ are given proper follow-up with discipleship information and connected with a local church in their area.

“We try to move people along their spiritual journey, just like they would do at a Crusade,” Célérier said. “For them to connect to a local church is extremely important.”

The Jesus.net movement, which began in August of 2009, is quickly spreading around the globe.

Many other countries are getting involved under the Jesus.net umbrella and this year’s Jesus.net conference marks the fourth one—two previous ones in Paris and one in Rotterdam, Amsterdam. Poland and Switzerland are possible host sites for conferences in future years.

BGEA has currently developed five websites—English and Spanish sites for the U.S., as well as ones in Portugal, Mexico and the Philippines.

And since launching in April 2011, more than 7 million visitors have landed on the U.S. site, PeaceWithGod.net, including more than 1.3 million who have indicated decisions and approximately 185,000 who have asked for more information.

Discipleship coaches and e-counselors play a key role in answering questions from new believers and delivering discipleship information.

“It’s such an honor and privilege for me to see the BGEA move toward Internet Evangelism,” Célérier said.”

Want to know more about getting you or your church involved with the PeaceWithGod.net ministry? Click on SearchForJesus.net.

Click here for the original article on BillyGraham.org.

God is the ultimate communicator. When He speaks, he makes sure that we can hear and understand Him.

When a child is small, whether we want to or not, we train them to hear our voice. We have certain tones of voices that indicate “I mean business.”

By the time a child is four or five years old, they will begin to have so much going on in their heads that sometimes they don’t hear us until we turn on that certain tone of voice.

In the busyness of the Christmas season, it might seem counterproductive to pause. Yet, it is in these moments that we can learn so much about listening. Take a few moments today to consider how you hear God’s voice. Do you only hear Him when He “turns on the voice”, or are you hearing even His whispers?

God speaks in many different ways. The Christmas narrative shows us that God spoke to people in ways that they would understand, and with just the right approach to help them understand and believe.

For Mary, God showed up as an angel, in person, with encouragements.

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you…you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus…”

Joseph got an angel too, but every time an angel appeared to Joseph, it was in a dream.

God spoke to Zechariah through an angel, but his wife only heard God’s voice through circumstances—first her husband couldn’t speak, then she found out she was pregnant.

Yet, God used her to encourage Mary with a word of knowledge. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”

The shepherds heard from a host of angels, but the Wise Men heard from God through a change in nature—there was a star in the East.

There are two people in the narrative that we should take some time to consider: Simon and Anna.

Luke 2 tells us that Simon was moved by the Spirit. It wasn’t even his day to work, but he went into the temple courts. He was there when Mary and Joseph brought in the child Jesus. Simon had spent so much time in God’s presence that he knew His voice.

Then we have Anna. Anna made it her habit to be in the Temple courts. Because it was her habit to fast and pray and be in the Temple, she was there when Jesus showed up.

In the season where we celebrate God’s big acts, let’s take a few moments to consider—are we making it our habit to be in God’s presence? Are we listening for His voice so we will hear Him when He speaks?

Whether you are in a space to really listen, or in a space that you need God to turn up the volume, the Bible shows us that God is the ultimate communicator. He speaks so that His audience will hear and understand Him.

Israel’s prime minister brushed off international uproar over a planned new settlement project near Jerusalem, claiming that Israel will keep the area under any future peace deal. Israel’s plans to build 3,000 new homes in the corridor east of Jerusalem triggered sharp criticism in Europe—including from Germany, traditionally one of Israel’s most stalwart allies.

The move came after the UN General Assembly, (illicitly undermining the Oslo accord agreements), voted to support a Palestinian statehood bid—with Germany abstaining rather than voting against. Netanyahu’s tough comments were the latest sign he has no plans to step back from his plans to develop the area.

Palestinians say building homes in the so-called E1 corridor would make it impossible for them to establish a viable state in the West Bank.

“After the decision of the UN General Assembly, every centimeter in Jerusalem and the West Bank is Palestinian land, and every Israeli settlement is illegal,” said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a senior adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Netanyahu offered no indication his government might be prepared to backtrack. The contentious corridor is small, he told reporters, and “successive governments from Yitzhak Rabin on down to my predecessor, Mr. Ehud Olmert, have also said this would be incorporated in a final peace treaty.”

On Wednesday Christians United for Israel (CUFI) reached 1 million “likes” on Facebook. That makes CUFI the most “liked” U.S. based pro-Israel Facebook page.
 
“As the recent conflict in Gaza proved, social media has emerged as the most dynamic new front in the battle for public opinion. As this milestone shows, CUFI is leading the charge for Israel on social media. And we’ve only just begun,” said CUFI executive director David Brog.
 
In addition to having crossed this important threshold, CUFI’s Facebook users are among the most active on the social networking site; CUFI is the 31st most talked about page in the nonprofit category.
 
“We hold an average of 40 events at brick and mortar locations each month, but that is only one component of our outreach. We also communicate with people across the country and around the world through social media, and on a daily basis hundreds of thousands of these individuals are seeing, reading and reacting to our messages and action alerts,” Brog said.
 
Christians United for Israel is the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States and one of the leading Christian grassroots movements in the world. CUFI spans all fifty states and reaches millions with its message. Each year CUFI holds hundreds of pro-Israel events in cities around the country. And each July, thousands of pro-Israel Christians gather in Washington, D.C. to participate in the CUFI Washington Summit and make their voices heard in support of Israel and the Jewish people.

Could too much time in your chair be killing you? Studies show sitting more than six hours a day puts you on a potentially deadly track, even if you exercise!

That’s pretty bad when you consider Americans sit about nine hours a day on average.

When we sit, especially for long periods of time, our bodies tend to shut down, which can lead to an early death.

Dr. James Levine, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, is a leading researcher on the health hazards of sitting too much.

The ‘New Smoking’

“The trick, the trick, the trick,” he said, is to have it firmly fixed in our minds, “that sitting is the new smoking. That sitting is literally bad for you.”

For 15 years, Dr. Levine has studied the grim consequences of spending too much time on our duff.

For starters, obese people sit on average two-and-a-half hours more every day than thinner people. Sitting for long periods of time could actually make bottoms bigger because sitting down puts a large amount of force on the body tissues that make fat cells.

It causes them to produce up to 50 percent more.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“People who sit for a prolonged period of time throughout the day are predisposed to developing diabetes, and those people who have diabetes, their diabetes gets worse,” Levine warned.

Add to that increased blood pressure and more, including emotional problems.

“People who sit more are more prone to cancers, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon, I mean, multiple cancers,” Levine explained.

“In addition, they’re more prone to depression, to feeling blue,” he said. “Even people who have mental illness, their illness is actually worse.”

Walk While Working

As a potential solution, Dr. Levine worked with companies to improve employee health. He also teamed-up with Steelcase, the office furniture company, to develop the Walkstation, a desk with a treadmill built right into it.

The Walkstation allows users to stroll at a very slow pace all day for optimum health. In fact, the Walkstation doesn’t even go any faster than two miles per hour.

Corporations nationwide have been clamoring to jump on the Walkstation bandwagon. But at about $3,500 each, although they are considered the gold standard of treadmill desks, not everyone can afford one. 

Fortunately, there are cheaper alternatives. Jill Weisenberger, a nutritionist and author who has a home office, spent less than $500 for something similar.

“I was sitting for hours and hours and hours, sometimes for 10 or so hours,” she recalled. “And I just know all that sitting is bad for you.”

Weisenberger realized she had a problem when she began writing her nutrition book, Diabetes Weight Loss: Week by Week: A Safe, Effective Method for Losing Weight and Improving Your Health.

As a health expert herself, she became concerned about the repercussions of sitting all day even though she exercised every morning.

Weisenberger purchased the TrekDesk online for about $479. The TrekDesk is a wide, tall, adjustable desk that fits virtually any existing treadmill. She simply put it over the treadmill she already owned.

“Ever since I got the desk I don’t complain about back pain and I’m much more comfortable” she smiled.

Weisenberger keeps her pace at just 1.4 miles an hour so she can concentrate on her work. The slow pace means she doesn’t ever get sweaty or out-of-breath.

“I could be on it for three to seven hours, and so I almost always walk about 30-some miles a week,” she said.

Stand Up Operation

Although a treadmill desk is the preferred method of beating the “sitting all day blues,” it’s not always practical. The next best thing is a standing desk. It’s also cheaper than a treadmill desk.

CBN’s Dorothy Schulte produces promotions for The 700 Club. She figured out an inexpensive way to avoid sitting down all day by designing her own standup desk.

As a result, she said she feels so much better.

“I noticed a lot of the back pain went away,” she said. “I was a lot less tired at the end of the day.” 

For just $35, she simply attached two wooden blocks to the bottom of her regular desk, raising it about 10 inches. She also replaced her chair with a bar stool.

“I don’t stand the whole day, constantly,” she explained. “I’ll probably go back and forth 30, 45 minutes at a time.”

Off Your Duff

If you can’t walk or stand at your desk, don’t worry. There are still lots of things you can do to minimize the health hazards of a desk job.

For example, offset the effects of sitting by taking the stairs at your work place, instead of the elevator.

Levine recommends using a portable stair-stepper periodically throughout the day.

“Slide it under the desk,” he advised. “When the phone goes, you pull it out, and start stepping away.”

Another idea to break up the long hours sitting is to set an alarm as a reminder to take a lap or two around your work area. It’s a practice that might not seem like much, but Levine said short, sporadic movement really adds up.

“People get as much or potentially more benefit from being up and walking a little bit every hour than going to the gym three times a week,” he said.

Instead of emailing a co-worker, walk over to them. Choose the printer that’s far from your desk, and park far away from your building.

“I’d say the number one item, and we’ve deployed this in over 60 corporations in the United States, is walk-and-talk meetings,” Levine said.

Also, walk at lunchtime. A good way to measure how you’re doing is to wear a pedometer, which keeps track of how many steps you’re taking. A good goal is 10,000 a day.

The Bottom Line

The office isn’t the only danger zone. When you get home, avoid being a couch potato.

Studies show each hour sitting in front of the television means an 11 percent higher death risk.

So the bottom line is, there are lots of ways to get off your bottom! That way you can keep your desk job and your good health.

University of Louisiana-Lafayette senior linebacker LeMarcus Gibson doesn’t want the actions of two former teammates, recently arrested for sexual assault, to taint the Ragin’ Cajuns football program. He would much rather the team be recognized for its spiritual side and its reliance upon God.

Gibson was one of four Louisiana-Lafayette players who were recently baptized in a public ceremony, proclaiming their love for and faith in Jesus Christ.

Gibson has seen how such an incident, on a much larger scale, has affected the Penn State football program. Penn State suffered through a sex scandal last year with one of its former assistant coaches and was hit with probation and fined heavily by the NCAA for its involvement.

“The spirituality on the team is something big. It just says something about the team, and the character of the team, and how close we’ve grown together,” Gibson told The Lafayette Advertiser. “We’ve all got a strong belief in God, so it was just something to show we really want to get on the right track.”

Darrell Green and Eric Ferguson were arrested and charged with the alleged sexual battery of a woman in October. Another teammate was dismissed from the roster due to repeated violations of team rules.

Ragin’ Cajun quarterback Terrance Broadway, senior cornerback Melvin White and senior safety Rodney Gillis were all baptized following a recent victory over Western Kentucky in a pool at the team hotel by Chi Alpha campus minister and UL football team chaplain Eric Treuil. The entire team witnessed the baptisms.

One week prior, wide receiver Darryl Surgent and defensive lineman Christian Ringo were baptized by Treuil in the UL campus pool.

“An old church saying is, ‘A family that prays together, stays together,’” Broadway told The Advertiser. “As a team, we’ve grown so much closer in the past four weeks with battling adversity. The only way we’ve really done that is through God.”

Treuil believes the indiscretions of their former teammates prompted some of the UL players to make changes in their personal lives.

“I believe it played a bit into it, from the angle of the reality that anybody can get into trouble—easily,” Treuil told The Advertiser. “And less you make some choices and decisions, it’s easy for anybody to mess up. I do think it played a part. They stepped over and decided to make some good, strong decisions. 

“It’s saying, ‘Hey, I’m telling everybody I’m living out the Christian life. Now, they’ve put themselves out there for some accountability.”

Gibson had been baptized as a child. It didn’t hold as much significance for him as his recent baptism.

“When I first got baptized, I was young. I didn’t know the meaning of it,” Gibson told The Advertiser. “Now, to go through it with guys I go through things with every day—every day we see each other and we’re around each other, and they’re the guys that I love—it made the experience even better.”

The Ragin’ Cajuns finish the regular season this Saturday at Florida Atlantic University. UL will play in the Dec. 22 New Orleans Bowl against an undetermined opponent. It is the second consecutive year the Ragin’ Cajuns will play in the New Orleans Bowl after defeating San Diego State 32-30 in 2011.

Hundreds of Israelis gathered to pray for their country as Hamas continued to launch rockets into Israel and the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on terror targets. 
 
The terrorist group intensified its missile barrages against southern Israel over the weekend. 

More than 560 rockets have slammed into Israel so far, with another 300-plus intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile batteries.

Haim Gabo’s house on Moshav Beer Tuvia was hit last week while his wife and children sat protected in their safe room.

“I don’t want to think about what would happen if we didn’t have shelter,” Gabo said.

The Israeli army pounded Hamas buildings and weapons’ storage facilities by land and sea over the weekend. They’ve targeted more than 1,350 terror sites in the last six days in what they’re calling Pillar of Defense.

The air force has inflicted extensive damage on the terror infrastructure, including buildings, weapons launching facilities, and terrorist workshops.

In one case, Palestinians say a bomb killed 11 members of one family including women and children. But Moshav Beer Tuvia resident Colleen Montgomery says the bad press against Israel isn’t fair.

“Just remember, every time someone holds up a child who has been hurt in Gaza — which we hope they aren’t—but if they are, somebody needs to place beside that pictures from Syria,” Montgomery said.

“This has been a year and a half, two years going on, and nobody is getting in the middle of it, nobody’s yelling,” she added.

“I wish the yelling would stop at Israel,” Montgomery said. “We are doing our best. We know our soldiers. They are not trying to do anything to the civilian population.”

Meanwhile, Israeli public support for the ongoing military operation remains high.

Some 31,000 reservists have already been called up for a possible ground offensive. But some Western leaders are warning the Jewish state not to send their soldiers into Gaza.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon says Israel expects the world to stand behind its right to defend itself.

“We expect our allies to support us to use all our tools to bring peace to our people,” he said. “So to say the least, we don’t like these kind of reservations.”

In Jerusalem, hundreds of Israelis gathered at the Western Wall to pray for their nation and for protection for the army. They prayed Psalm 121: “He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”