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The Voice Responds To His Call NASHVILLE, TN — Renowned country artist George Jones may have passed on but his 50-year legacy in country music remains. Fellow musicians recently paid tribute to the 81-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer through a three-hour public funeral at the Grand Ole Opry. The “Possum” wasn’t only known for his ability to “pull every drop of emotion out of songs” – as country superstar Alan Jackson described his unique talent – but also for his tumultuous personal life replete with drunken antics and turbulent love affairs. “I was a miserable person,” Jones, who was known as The Voice, told Living Light News. “I didn’t have much of a relationship (with God) and that’s one of the reasons my life was so crazy.” Jones, who once drove a lawnmower on the highway to buy a drink, found God in the latter years of his life. Hospitalized after losing so much weight from his hard-partying lifestyle, he started reading the Bible in the hospital. “The Bible was one of the books that I really believed in but never lived or read like I should have until I was in the hospital,” he said in a CBN interview. “I didn’t know there was a way back. But then I started reading the Bible, and I found that way back with the Lord’s help and (my wife) Nancy staying by my side.” He told Rolling Stone Magazine, “I’ve changed my way of life. I do believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and do pray often, even though I’m not a saint.”
Green On The Green MIAMI BEACH., FL — What would you do if you found a bag full of cash? Rachel Castillo happened upon one last January after a golfer alerted her about an unattended bag at the Miami Beach golf course where she works. When Castillo opened the bag, she saw “stack after stack” of cash, totalling to $36,000. While she admits to “freaking out a little bit” at the sight of cash equivalent to her full year’s pay, it wasn’t hard for Castillo to decide what to do with it – turn it over to authorities and return it to its rightful owner. “I believe in the Bible,” she told Associated Press. “I’m a Christian, and the Bible says, ‘Do not steal, do not lie,’ you know, all these things, and if you do what’s right, if you live the right way, you’ll be taken care of. I believe I’ll be taken care of ... if you do what’s right.” The bag is owned by a 76-year-old man with dementia who resides in an assisted living facility. “We have identified that money as his through different transactions that he made,” Bobby Hernandez of the Miami Beach Police told NBC Miami. Hernandez expressed shock at Castillo’s honesty. “One thing is to say to do the right thing, and it’s another to do it.” Castillo didn’t receive a monetary reward, but NBC Miami reports that a certificate of appreciation is expected to be awarded. She said she believes her reward will come from God.
Hollywood Honours ‘Unbroken’ Hero HOLLYWOOD HILLS, CA — WWII hero Louis Zamperini’s story is going to Hollywood. After five decades of trying to bring Zamperini’s bestselling biography into the big screen, Universal Pictures has finally moved forward with actress Angelina Jolie as the director. Emmy-nominated screenwriters Ethan and Joel Coen will draft the script. Zamperini’s larger-than-life story is an inspiring tale of survival. The son of Italian immigrants, the Torrance, Calif.-native was a self-described “little punk” who always got into trouble. Running was his way of releasing pent-up energy. With his athleticism, he set track records, qualified for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and met Adolf Hitler. Life was good until 1943 when, while serving in the Air Force, Zamperini’s plane crashed over the Pacific. He survived 47 days adrift on a raft, attacked by Japanese pilots and hungry sharks. When he finally made land, Zamperini was captured by Japanese soldiers and was imprisoned for two years. Freed in 1945, he remained a prisoner of post-traumatic stress disorder. It wasn’t until 1949 when his wife coaxed him to attend a Billy Graham Crusade did Zamperini experience real freedom. “Boy, it was a complete turnabout,” he said in a 1976 interview. “I had a totally new direction of life and a whole new purpose.” Zamperini has since returned to Japan to forgive his tormentors in person. Now at 96, the Torrance Tornado remains active, speaking to audiences about his remarkable life story, freedom in Jesus Christ, and forgiveness. As he says in his autobiography, “God has given me so much. He expects so much out of me.” As for the film, no timetable has yet been announced.
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