BRIAN LITTREL STORY (A member of Backstreetboys)
I really admire this guy because of his faith and dedication to God despite of the success he recieved. He remains faithful. God bless him more.
“I always knew in my heart that I wanted to do Christian music, that's what's always tugged on my heart strings the most.”
Brian
Littrell is known for making two types of music: pop hits with the
Backstreet Boys and inspirational tunes as a Christian music artist.
Story source: http://www.biography.com
RICK WARREN TELLS STORY OF SON's SUICIDE
Rick Warren, a famous writer, preacher, evangelist shares his story about his son's suicide. Here is an interview by CNN:
"I have cried every single day since Matthew died," the megachurch pastor said on CNN Tuesday night. "But that's actually a good thing. Grief is a good thing. It's the way we get through the transitions of life."
He choked up on camera, too. His wife, Kay Warren, wiped tears from his cheek as they talked about the five months since their 27-year-old son, who had borderline personality disorder, shot himself with a gun he bought illegally online. Matthew's death, they said, came after years of threatening suicide and even asking his father, "Why can't I just die?"
The Warrens combined personal moments from their story—Kay hugging her son's body as the coroner took it away, Rick reading sympathy letters from people who Matthew had led to Christ—with their advocacy for a more robust response to mental illness and their continued hope in God. Christian leaders and viewers tweeted along to the hour-long conversation; their hashtag, #WarrensOnCNN, trended into this morning.
The author of The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick repeated that there's a purpose to their pain, affirming his belief in God even after "the day that I prayed would never happen happened." He said:
I never questioned my faith in God. I questioned God's plan. There's a big difference. I know God is a good God. … But not everything that happens in the world is God's will. Everything that happens in the world God allows, he permits, because it couldn't happen without his permission. But we live in a world where there are free choices, so if I choose to do wrong, I can't blame God for that. So God isn't to blame for my son's death. My son took his own life. It was his choice.
The Warrens told Morgan their son was not afraid to die and is now in heaven. "Matthew's body was broken. That gun broke his body, and he was buried in brokenness. But he's going to be raised in glory," Kay said, referencing 1 Corinthians 15:43 (NLV).
The interview aired hours after LifeWay Research reported that nearly half of evangelical, fundamentalist, or born-again Christians (48%) believe that people with serious mental illness can overcome their condition through prayer and Bible study alone.
Even as evangelical leaders like the Warrens and former Southern Baptist Convention president Frank Page (who lost a daughter to suicide) publicly share their stories, mental illness continues to be seen as a spiritual deficiency or character flaw by some Christians. Researchers also found that 54 percent of Americans said churches should do more to prevent suicide, and 68 percent said they would feel welcome in church if they were mentally ill.
When he returned to the pulpit at Saddleback Church six weeks ago, Rick Warren launched a sermon series on grief and a campaign to help churches address mental illness. "There's no shame when any other organ in your body fails, so why do we feel shame if our brain is broken?" he asked.
By: Kate Shellnutt
HAYDEN: God makes all things new
I was only eight when I first questioned God’s love. I had pondered at a very young age how a loving God could allow the dignity of an innocent little boy to be stripped away forever by a heartless man. I learned at a very young age a harsh reality – that in real life something precious to us may be taken away from us in an instant, whether we like it or not. I still have the memory of me in the bathroom after that incident – there I was, trying to scrub the filth off my body, frightfully and hopelessly. I have always asked how a loving God could allow this to happen to me?
I have made two conclusions from that experience- two seemingly simplistic conclusions that, I would later learn, would have a catastrophic effect in my life. First was that there was no more point in trying to live a righteous life – I have been defiled and the scar is permanent. Second was the lesson that as long as nobody knows about this – as long as I don’t tell anyone about this – I will be okay. The by-product of that of course was that I began to think I can do ANYTHING, and as long as it is in secret, it will be okay.
Following the footsteps of my Dad, I went to med school. I excelled in both sports and my studies, finishing off as president of the interns in a prestigious hospital, all this while doing modeling work on the side. At this time I no longer recognized the need for God in my life. I was doing well on my own and I’ve got a promising future ahead of me.
Just a year after I started my practice as a doctor, show business opened its door for me and bid me enter with a promise of fast-track popularity and wealth. I entered this world and sure enough I got what I hoped for – fame, influence, wealth, and women. I should’ve recognized the warning signs at this point. I wasn’t ready for the problems of my so-called “success”. Pride crept in, and in no time I was into womanizing, drugs, and other shameful things only a man perverted in his thinking would do. I did these things in secret so I thought I was going to be okay. The truth is, in my quiet times alone, I felt an unfathomable emptiness inside me.
In December of 2008, my own best friends conspired to expose my double life to the public. They ransacked my place to get whatever evidence they can get – photos, journals, computers, and hard drives. I was horrified. The “ideal man” image I have carefully cultivated for years would be shattered. I was too terrified to witness what was going to happen so I decided it’d be better to “opt out” of life. I swallowed 30 tablets of Valiums, sent my goodbye messages, and lied down until I lost consciousness.
I woke up from a coma after three days and found myself in a rehab with psychiatric patients. I was very upset that I did not die. After a few weeks I left the rehab to celebrate Christmas and the New Year at home.
Then in May of 2009, I received a call from a stranger asking me to pay P4M or else scandalous videos of me with other celebrities would be released. I did not give in to their demands so on my very birthday, May 20, 2009, the videos were released. The videos went viral and everyone feasted on it. It became the banner headline in TV news, radio, newspapers, blogs, and other social media networks. I was dragged to the senate hall for a humiliating public hearing, where a former police running for office poured water on my head before the hearing to express, according to him, his disgust. The Board of Medicine, finding me not morally fit to practice my vocation, revoked me of my license to practice medicine. In one survey I was voted the “most hated man” in the country – so hated that I was even declared “persona not grata” in some provinces. In one fell swoop, I was stripped of everything I have – the most painful of which was when almost all of my so-called “friends” turned their backs on me.
Left with nothing, I attempted to end my life for the second time by swallowing almost three dozens of the drug “ecstasy. I was convulsing violently when people found me and rushed me to the nearest hospital. I was stabilized there. Exhaustive lab and imaging tests were done but the results showed my body was virtually undamaged.
My second failed attempt made me think that there must be a reason for my life, and that there must be something or someone out there who’s in control of my life. I began a serious spiritual search. I devoured dozens of books on psychology and spirituality – leaving out one that I didn’t think would contain any answers for my questions – the Bible. I tried going to church too, but that was a short-lived affair.
Last May, I received an unexpected call from a friend from CCF inviting me to an evening talk with an Indian-Canadian evangelist named Ravi Zacharias, whose name was familiar to me because of his book, “Has Christianity Failed You”, which I read because that’s how I felt.
I went to the talk. I felt out of place. After dinner, the guest speaker gave an unplanned message that resonated with me powerfully - so powerful that I raised my hand to ask a question at the end of the talk. My question turned into a confession, and my confession into submission to the cross of Christ. I committed my life to Jesus Christ as my Savior and my Lord. Thereafter, I joined a small group and started coming to CCF again.
My life isn’t perfect. I am not perfect. I still have my struggles. But as I grow in my relationship with Jesus, He gives me the grace to resist and overcome sin. My transformation is not yet complete, but I trust that He will finish the good work He started in me. I don’t worry about my past anymore, nor am I anxious about my future because as Paul would put it, “it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me”
My name is Hayden Kho, Jr - once lost, but now found by Him who redeems, confirms, strengthens, and makes all things new.
To God be all the glory.
Source: http://www.ccf.org.ph/testimonies/hayden-god-makes-all-things-new
I have made two conclusions from that experience- two seemingly simplistic conclusions that, I would later learn, would have a catastrophic effect in my life. First was that there was no more point in trying to live a righteous life – I have been defiled and the scar is permanent. Second was the lesson that as long as nobody knows about this – as long as I don’t tell anyone about this – I will be okay. The by-product of that of course was that I began to think I can do ANYTHING, and as long as it is in secret, it will be okay.
Following the footsteps of my Dad, I went to med school. I excelled in both sports and my studies, finishing off as president of the interns in a prestigious hospital, all this while doing modeling work on the side. At this time I no longer recognized the need for God in my life. I was doing well on my own and I’ve got a promising future ahead of me.
Just a year after I started my practice as a doctor, show business opened its door for me and bid me enter with a promise of fast-track popularity and wealth. I entered this world and sure enough I got what I hoped for – fame, influence, wealth, and women. I should’ve recognized the warning signs at this point. I wasn’t ready for the problems of my so-called “success”. Pride crept in, and in no time I was into womanizing, drugs, and other shameful things only a man perverted in his thinking would do. I did these things in secret so I thought I was going to be okay. The truth is, in my quiet times alone, I felt an unfathomable emptiness inside me.
In December of 2008, my own best friends conspired to expose my double life to the public. They ransacked my place to get whatever evidence they can get – photos, journals, computers, and hard drives. I was horrified. The “ideal man” image I have carefully cultivated for years would be shattered. I was too terrified to witness what was going to happen so I decided it’d be better to “opt out” of life. I swallowed 30 tablets of Valiums, sent my goodbye messages, and lied down until I lost consciousness.
I woke up from a coma after three days and found myself in a rehab with psychiatric patients. I was very upset that I did not die. After a few weeks I left the rehab to celebrate Christmas and the New Year at home.
Then in May of 2009, I received a call from a stranger asking me to pay P4M or else scandalous videos of me with other celebrities would be released. I did not give in to their demands so on my very birthday, May 20, 2009, the videos were released. The videos went viral and everyone feasted on it. It became the banner headline in TV news, radio, newspapers, blogs, and other social media networks. I was dragged to the senate hall for a humiliating public hearing, where a former police running for office poured water on my head before the hearing to express, according to him, his disgust. The Board of Medicine, finding me not morally fit to practice my vocation, revoked me of my license to practice medicine. In one survey I was voted the “most hated man” in the country – so hated that I was even declared “persona not grata” in some provinces. In one fell swoop, I was stripped of everything I have – the most painful of which was when almost all of my so-called “friends” turned their backs on me.
Left with nothing, I attempted to end my life for the second time by swallowing almost three dozens of the drug “ecstasy. I was convulsing violently when people found me and rushed me to the nearest hospital. I was stabilized there. Exhaustive lab and imaging tests were done but the results showed my body was virtually undamaged.
My second failed attempt made me think that there must be a reason for my life, and that there must be something or someone out there who’s in control of my life. I began a serious spiritual search. I devoured dozens of books on psychology and spirituality – leaving out one that I didn’t think would contain any answers for my questions – the Bible. I tried going to church too, but that was a short-lived affair.
Last May, I received an unexpected call from a friend from CCF inviting me to an evening talk with an Indian-Canadian evangelist named Ravi Zacharias, whose name was familiar to me because of his book, “Has Christianity Failed You”, which I read because that’s how I felt.
I went to the talk. I felt out of place. After dinner, the guest speaker gave an unplanned message that resonated with me powerfully - so powerful that I raised my hand to ask a question at the end of the talk. My question turned into a confession, and my confession into submission to the cross of Christ. I committed my life to Jesus Christ as my Savior and my Lord. Thereafter, I joined a small group and started coming to CCF again.
My life isn’t perfect. I am not perfect. I still have my struggles. But as I grow in my relationship with Jesus, He gives me the grace to resist and overcome sin. My transformation is not yet complete, but I trust that He will finish the good work He started in me. I don’t worry about my past anymore, nor am I anxious about my future because as Paul would put it, “it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me”
My name is Hayden Kho, Jr - once lost, but now found by Him who redeems, confirms, strengthens, and makes all things new.
To God be all the glory.
Source: http://www.ccf.org.ph/testimonies/hayden-god-makes-all-things-new
ANGELU DE LEON's Testimony
DIRT POOR: Jericho Rosales
Jericho Rosales shares how he pulled himself out of the dump
Don’t be a slave to poverty. Jericho Rosales lived by this mantra all his life. A product of humble beginnings, the actor – one of his generation’s finest – is now keen to reward himself. It is not to make up for everything he missed out on during his impoverished childhood; his past, after all, ultimately served him well. Rather, it is the reward of time, of choice – in his career and private life.
When Echo won the title of “Mr Pogi” (Mr Handsome) inEat Bulaga, we heard about how he was a service crew for a popular local pizza parlor before he snagged his job (at that time) as a personal driver. We thought, good-looking, charming (Who can resist this guy’s twin dimples?) and it appears, self-reliant. But his story was nothing out of the ordinary – a large percentage of Filipinos his age is in the F&B service industry, either on a part-time or full-time basis.
Nobody knew the full story of his less-than-charmed life prior to show business until this writer sat down to discuss with him just how legitimate his “sob story” was. It seemed that not even his girlfriend then, actress Heart Evangelista, had fully grasped Echo’s lowly existence pre-showbiz.
HUNGRY YEARS
After his parents split up, his mother had to take charge of Echo and his younger sibling by herself. They would move wherever she found work. Unable to cope, she suffered from temporary stress-induced blindness.
As a kid, Echo learned that he must work for the things he wanted. It started out innocently enough – the childish assumption that at 11 years of age, it’s fine to sell fish in the market for 20 pesos a day so he could buy GI Joe toy dolls. In hindsight, he realised how desperate their situation was at the time.
“Once, we couldn’t afford to buy ulam (viand), so we just ate rice with salt, toyo (soy sauce), andcalamansi,” he related in an interview I was doing for a teen title then. Whenever his mom found herself jobless, they would resort to borrowing from the store or at worst, ignore their hunger.
But there was even worse to come. “Nung second year high school ako, naging caretaker kami ng pamilya ko ng isang bakanteng lote. Doon sa lote, may sira-sirang pader na nilagyan namin ng yerong bubong. Doon kami tumira. Tubig ulan ang panligo namin.” (In my second year of high school, my family became caretakers of a vacant lot. In that lot, there was a dilapidated wall. We attached a tin roof above it. That’s where we lived. We had to use rainwater for bathing.) That period, he said, was the lowest point of his life.
Throughout the course of the interview, Echo would glance repeatedly at Heart, as if to gauge her reaction. The latter was pitying, prompting him to admit that he had never divulged the extent of his miserable past to the actress.
At 17, he left home to work as a service crew in Greenwich, a popular local pizza joint. “Bumukod ako kasi kailangan kong tulungang kumita nanay at kapatid ko. Naglalaba na nun nanay ko. Binibisita ko sila tuwing suweldo ko.” (I left home because I needed to help my mom and younger sibling earn money. My mom at that time had started doing laundry for other people. I would visit them every pay day.)
When he became a personal driver, his employer’s client suggested that he join Eat Bulaga’s “Mr Pogi” competition. Initially, he refused as he and his friends used to mock and laugh about the contest. But in dire straits, he eventually relented and auditioned without telling his friends. He won and the rest, as they say, is history.
“When I got shows in ABS-CBN, I hung a Raiders car plate on my cabinet to drive me to work hard. In less than six months, I got to buy a car! That really inspired me, so I said I’m going to buy my mom a house. After a year, naibili ko nga siya ng bahay.” (I was able to buy her a house.)
DEVELOPING SUBSTANCE
When Echo was still with Heart, hecklers called him a TH (“Trying Hard”) and a wannabe coño (rich kid), when all the guy did was try to improve his conversational skills in English. He tried his hand in recording music; this, too, earned him further taunting. But these didn’t stop Echo from striving to better himself, not just personality-wise, but character-wise as well. (Yes, he’s still working on his music career.)
Echo recently manned up and regained his dignity as he strove to keep details of his most recently ended relationship (with Cesca Litton) private. Instead of his usual heartbroken cries on national TV, he refocuses attention on the thing that catapulted him to stardom – his thespic talent. Back on top anew (with TFC primetime hit Green Rose) after the dip his career took at the height of his romance with Heart, Echo channels his renewed faith in himself and his job on developing substance.
In an interview with a Filipino broadsheet, he said: “I choose my projects very well. I don’t want to waste the rest of my life doing something that is not worthwhile.”
Right now, he is keen to venture into producing and other aspects of film-making, which can prove fruitful, considering his record as an award-winning actor. “I want to make movies that will matter.”
As a reward for all his hard work in the last 11 years, Jericho Rosales is giving himself time, giving himself a choice on who and what to become, regardless of naysayers.
For now, he only has one goal: “To reach out to many people, to inspire and to touch people’s lives.”
His story, the tale of his rise from the dumps, is a classic example. “Don’t let poverty ruin your dream, rob you of happiness or get the best of you. You’ll get a chance to buy a ticket out of poverty, but it’ll takesipag (hard work), tiyaga (perseverance) and a good attitude. God is the God of Possibility. Simply believe in Him.”
By: IRENE CURTIS
Source: http://www.pinoystaronline.com/dirt%E2%80%88poor-jericho-rosales/
I AM A CHRISTIAN ADDICTED TO PORN
by Shaun Groves
The remains of the campfire were cold. And the labels on the bottles of Bud were bleached white by days in the sun. Whoever had camped out in the woods near my house was long gone. My friend and I picked through the debris they'd left behind. An abandoned hip-hop CD. A few empty baggies and bottles. And a magazine.
The cover was weathered and unrecognizable. I poked it open with a stick, scared of what critters might be calling it home now. Its dewy, wet pages flopped open. I saw a woman. And I saw her naked breasts.
Since I was only 7, I ran. I mean, girls had cooties. They were gross. They were things we chased at recess, but didn't know what to do if we ever caught one. But I still remember that image. I was excited by it, but scared of it at the same time. I didn't understand it and I knew I shouldn't be seeing it.
And I knew I wanted more.
A few years later I got my chance. This time I didn't run away. I was 13. I was at my friend Tyler's* house. Tyler was my only friend with internet access. Almost every day, we played computer games for hours.
But one day we clicked on what we thought was a game to download, and our lives changed. It wasn't a game, but a video. At first, we laughed as we saw the blurry, slow-moving image of a woman. We laughed nervously as if to say, "That's so stupid. Turn it off." But we didn't turn it off. We watched it. Then I went home.
But Tyler went looking for more and showed me what he found. I didn't run away this time. I didn't want to keep looking. But I did. I was caught.
Eventually, looking at nudity online together grew uncomfortable and boring. So Tyler and I took our passion for porn solo. Tyler kept downloading anything he could find, progressing from topless women to sex photos to hardcore videos. Meanwhile, I bounced between feeling guilty and wanting to see more. Some days I was strong. Other days, I was like a lustful porn addict looking for a fix. I never purchased or downloaded porn, though. I was a church kid in a small town who could be recognized and ratted on. And I had no computer at home. Instead, I stole porn.
I searched my friends' houses in hopes their dad had a hidden stash of Playboys somewhere. When that didn't work, I stole porn magazines from convenience store shelves. Not many. Just three or four over a couple of years. But I savored them.
I imagined one page at a time coming to life. It's embarrassing to say, but these women made me feel loved. My eyes would feast on their skin and it made me feel like a man. For just one moment, I felt wanted. I felt pleasure.
I felt close to someone, and it never bothered me that she wasn't real. She was to me.
But those moments of fulfillment did pass. Always. The pleasure faded. And in its wake I fought pounding waves of regret and guilt. I felt a million miles from good, a billion light years from God. I'd often think back to how I saw that first picture of a naked woman. I had used a stick to keep it away from me. I felt like God had the stick in his hand now, poking at me from a distance, trying not to get any of me on him.
I knew this wasn't true. I knew I was a Christian. And I knew God saw me as perfect and loveable as he saw his very own Son. I knew all this. Grace. Love. Forgiveness.
But I didn't feel it. And I grew more and more depressed and frustrated with myself. I'd promise myself over and over that I wouldn't mess up again, only to repeat my mistakes.
Tyler wasn't any better. He eventually found it impossible to believe in a God who'd keep him from looking at porn. With God out of the picture, Tyler convinced himself porn was just about pleasure. And how could pleasure hurt anyone? Once he decided pornography wasn't evil, he embraced it. He subscribed toPlayboy and bought their videos.
Seeing what happened to Tyler was a wake-up call. I knew I was headed down the same path. So I got help. One day, I was hanging out with a close friend who was a strong believer. Out of nowhere, I told him everything. My voice shaking, I confessed that if I could look at pornography for free, knowing I wouldn't be found out or feel guilty, I would. I asked him for help. We prayed together.
And then—to my surprise—my friend told me he had the same problem. Turns out most of my friends did. We went to an older Christian in our church and asked him to meet with us every week and help us. This man had no great wisdom we lacked, no secret to fighting the drawing power of naked women. But what he did was listen, give us wise advice and pray. He became a caring mentor to all of us. The first thing he showed us was that we weren't the only ones with these problems. We weren't freaks. We weren't alone anymore.
As I met with my new accountability group, I saw my life had to change. And a lot of those changes and lessons still apply to my life today. Lesson one: run away. "Flee!" our mentor often said. "Alcoholics shouldn't live across the street from a liquor store." To me, that means I can't walk alone into the magazine section of a store. Or use a computer alone without internet filters.
I have to limit the opportunities for temptation. I have to put space between me and porn. I can't have some catalogs in my house. I don't let myself watch TV alone. Even with filters on my internet service, I don't go online if no one else is home. These restrictions annoy me sometimes. But they help me flee.
The second thing I learned was to ask myself the question: How can I increase my desire for God and smother my desire to lust? Someone once told me that there are two dogs in my heart's backyard. One dog always craves pleasure, sin and selfishness. The other dog craves justice, mercy, peace and obedience to God. When I wake up every day, I choose which dog gets fed. The one I feed grows until the other dog can't even be seen.
I need to feed the right dog. I do that by having honest relationships with Christian guys. I have one friend in particular I check in with daily. We talk honestly about sex and sin and the junk that tempts us. Together we figure out how to be better men. We gripe. We pray. We confess. We teach.
I also feed the right dog by reading the Bible and studying it with other people. And I don't just read it, but I write down what I've learned and what I'll do or think differently because of it. I spend time in silence asking God to speak to me. I pray, worship, serve other people.
On most days, the good dog outweighs the bad one. That mongrel is so scrawny now that I hardly notice him. But he surprises me every once in a while. Out of nowhere he'll bark at me, and I'll find myself pulled in the wrong direction. He's the loudest when I'm not careful about avoiding temptation. So I flee. I get up and leave.
And I pray: "God, help me do what's right today. And help Tyler, too. Save us both from pornography and make us closer to perfect. Make us love you more than ourselves and surround us with people who remind us that you love us even when we mess up. Surround us with friends and a church that feed the holy side of us and teach us how to starve the addicted side of us. Kill the bad dog. Feed the good one. Amen."
Taken From: http://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/truelifestories/ithappenedtome/im-christian-addicted-to-porn.html?start=3
I need to feed the right dog. I do that by having honest relationships with Christian guys. I have one friend in particular I check in with daily. We talk honestly about sex and sin and the junk that tempts us. Together we figure out how to be better men. We gripe. We pray. We confess. We teach.
I also feed the right dog by reading the Bible and studying it with other people. And I don't just read it, but I write down what I've learned and what I'll do or think differently because of it. I spend time in silence asking God to speak to me. I pray, worship, serve other people.
On most days, the good dog outweighs the bad one. That mongrel is so scrawny now that I hardly notice him. But he surprises me every once in a while. Out of nowhere he'll bark at me, and I'll find myself pulled in the wrong direction. He's the loudest when I'm not careful about avoiding temptation. So I flee. I get up and leave.
And I pray: "God, help me do what's right today. And help Tyler, too. Save us both from pornography and make us closer to perfect. Make us love you more than ourselves and surround us with people who remind us that you love us even when we mess up. Surround us with friends and a church that feed the holy side of us and teach us how to starve the addicted side of us. Kill the bad dog. Feed the good one. Amen."
Taken From: http://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/truelifestories/ithappenedtome/im-christian-addicted-to-porn.html?start=3
The world's youngest mother
Lina Medina (born September 27, 1933, in Ticrapo, Huancavelica Region, Peru) is the youngest confirmed mother in medical history, giving birth at the age of five years, seven months and 17 days. She presently lives in Lima, the capital of Peru.
Lina Medina (born September 27, 1933, in Ticrapo, Huancavelica Region, Peru) is the youngest confirmed mother in medical history, giving birth at the age of five years, seven months and 17 days. She presently lives in Lima, the capital of Peru.
Early development
Born in Ticrapo, Peru, to silversmith Tiburelo
Medina and Victoria Losea, Medina was brought to a hospital by her
parents at the age of five years due to increasing abdominal size. She
was originally thought to have had a tumor, but her doctors determined she was in her seventh month of pregnancy. Dr. Gerardo Lozada took her to Lima, Peru, to have other specialists confirm that Medina was pregnant.
Contemporary newspaper accounts indicate that interest in the case developed on many fronts. The San Antonio Light newspaper
reported in its July 16, 1939, edition—in anticipation of the girl's
expected visit to U.S. university scientific facilities—that a national
Peruvian obstetrician/midwife association had demanded that the girl be
transported to a national maternity hospital; the paper quoted April 18
reports in the Peruvian paper La Crónica stating that a North
American filmmaking concern sent a representative "with authority to
offer the sum of $5000 to benefit the minor [in exchange for filming
rights] ... we know that the offer was rejected." The same article,
reprinted from a Chicago paper, noted that Lozada had made films of
Medina for scientific documentation and had shown them around April 21
while addressing Peru's National Academy of Medicine; on a subsequent
visit to visit Lina's remote hometown, some of the baggage carrying the
films had been dropped into the river while crossing "a very primitive
bridge": "Enough of his pictorial record remained, however, to intrigue
the learned savants."
A month and a half after the original diagnosis, on May 14, 1939, Medina gave birth to a boy by a caesarean section necessitated by her small pelvis. The surgery was performed by Lozada and Dr. Busalleu, with Dr. Colareta providing anaesthesia. Her case was reported in detail by Dr. Edmundo Escomel in the medical journal La Presse Médicale, including the additional details that hermenarche had
occurred at eight months of age, in contrast to a past report stating
that she had been having regular periods since she was three years
old (or 2½ according to a different article). The report also detailed
that she had prominent breast development by the age of four. By age five, her figure displayed pelvic widening and advanced bone maturation. When doctors performed the caesarean to deliver her baby, they found she already had fully mature sexual organs from precocious puberty.
Born in Ticrapo, Peru, to silversmith Tiburelo
Medina and Victoria Losea, Medina was brought to a hospital by her
parents at the age of five years due to increasing abdominal size. She
was originally thought to have had a tumor, but her doctors determined she was in her seventh month of pregnancy. Dr. Gerardo Lozada took her to Lima, Peru, to have other specialists confirm that Medina was pregnant.
Contemporary newspaper accounts indicate that interest in the case developed on many fronts. The San Antonio Light newspaper
reported in its July 16, 1939, edition—in anticipation of the girl's
expected visit to U.S. university scientific facilities—that a national
Peruvian obstetrician/midwife association had demanded that the girl be
transported to a national maternity hospital; the paper quoted April 18
reports in the Peruvian paper La Crónica stating that a North
American filmmaking concern sent a representative "with authority to
offer the sum of $5000 to benefit the minor [in exchange for filming
rights] ... we know that the offer was rejected." The same article,
reprinted from a Chicago paper, noted that Lozada had made films of
Medina for scientific documentation and had shown them around April 21
while addressing Peru's National Academy of Medicine; on a subsequent
visit to visit Lina's remote hometown, some of the baggage carrying the
films had been dropped into the river while crossing "a very primitive
bridge": "Enough of his pictorial record remained, however, to intrigue
the learned savants."
A month and a half after the original diagnosis, on May 14, 1939, Medina gave birth to a boy by a caesarean section necessitated by her small pelvis. The surgery was performed by Lozada and Dr. Busalleu, with Dr. Colareta providing anaesthesia. Her case was reported in detail by Dr. Edmundo Escomel in the medical journal La Presse Médicale, including the additional details that hermenarche had
occurred at eight months of age, in contrast to a past report stating
that she had been having regular periods since she was three years
old (or 2½ according to a different article). The report also detailed
that she had prominent breast development by the age of four. By age five, her figure displayed pelvic widening and advanced bone maturation. When doctors performed the caesarean to deliver her baby, they found she already had fully mature sexual organs from precocious puberty.
Son
Medina's
son weighed 2.7 kg (6.0 lb; 0.43 st) at birth and was named Gerardo
after her doctor. Gerardo was raised believing that Medina was his
sister, but found out at the age of 10 that she was his mother. He grew
up healthy but died in 1979 at the age of 40 of a bone marrow disease.
Medina's
son weighed 2.7 kg (6.0 lb; 0.43 st) at birth and was named Gerardo
after her doctor. Gerardo was raised believing that Medina was his
sister, but found out at the age of 10 that she was his mother. He grew
up healthy but died in 1979 at the age of 40 of a bone marrow disease.
Later life
Medina has never revealed the father of the child nor the circumstances
of her impregnation. Escomel suggested she might not actually know
herself by writing that Medina "couldn't give precise responses".
Although Lina's father was arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse,
he was later released due to lack of evidence, and the biological
father who impregnated Lina was never identified. Additionally, there
was no explanation of how a five-year-old girl could conceive a child.
In young adulthood, she worked as a secretary in the Lima clinic of
Lozada, who gave her an education and helped put her son through high
school. Medina later married Raúl Jurado, who fathered her second son in
1972. As of 2002, they lived in a poor district of Lima known as
"Chicago Chico" ("Little Chicago"). She refused an interview with Reutersthat year, just as she had turned away many reporters in years past.
Medina has never revealed the father of the child nor the circumstances
of her impregnation. Escomel suggested she might not actually know
herself by writing that Medina "couldn't give precise responses".
Although Lina's father was arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse,
he was later released due to lack of evidence, and the biological
father who impregnated Lina was never identified. Additionally, there
was no explanation of how a five-year-old girl could conceive a child.
In young adulthood, she worked as a secretary in the Lima clinic of
Lozada, who gave her an education and helped put her son through high
school. Medina later married Raúl Jurado, who fathered her second son in
1972. As of 2002, they lived in a poor district of Lima known as
"Chicago Chico" ("Little Chicago"). She refused an interview with Reutersthat year, just as she had turned away many reporters in years past.
Documentation
There are two published photographs documenting the case. The first was
taken around the beginning of April 1939, when Medina was seven and a
half months into pregnancy. Taken from Medina's left side, it shows her
standing naked in front of a neutral backdrop. This is the only
published photograph of Lina taken during her pregnancy.
This photograph is of significant value because it documents her
condition and the extent of her physiological development. The other
photograph is of far greater clarity and was taken a year later in Lima
when Gerardo was eleven months old.
Although the case was called a hoax by some, a number of doctors over the years have verified it based on biopsies, X rays of the fetal skeleton in utero, and photographs taken by the doctors caring for her. Extreme precocious puberty in children aged five or under has only been documented with Medina. Extreme precocious puberty is treated by suppressing fertility, which preserves growth potential and reduces the social consequences of full sexual development in childhood.
There are two published photographs documenting the case. The first was
taken around the beginning of April 1939, when Medina was seven and a
half months into pregnancy. Taken from Medina's left side, it shows her
standing naked in front of a neutral backdrop. This is the only
published photograph of Lina taken during her pregnancy.
This photograph is of significant value because it documents her
condition and the extent of her physiological development. The other
photograph is of far greater clarity and was taken a year later in Lima
when Gerardo was eleven months old.
Although the case was called a hoax by some, a number of doctors over the years have verified it based on biopsies, X rays of the fetal skeleton in utero, and photographs taken by the doctors caring for her. Extreme precocious puberty in children aged five or under has only been documented with Medina. Extreme precocious puberty is treated by suppressing fertility, which preserves growth potential and reduces the social consequences of full sexual development in childhood.
How did lina medina get pregnant
In 1933, Lina Medina was born in Ticrapo, Peru. At the age of five
years, Lina was brought to hospital by her parents who complain of
abdominal extreme growth. It was initially thought to have a tumor, but
doctors later determined that the child was seven months pregnant. On
May 14, 1939, Lina Medina gave birth to a baby boy. The child was
delivered by caesarean section, as the pool of Lina was too small to do a
natural childbirth. Her son was named Gerardo, and weighed 2.7 kg (6.0
lb). Lina Medina officially became the youngest confirmed mother in
medical history, aged five, seven months and 21 days. The doctors who
worked on Lina noted that it had an abnormal progress of growth, with
breast development identified by the age of four. Within five years, Her
body displayed pelvic widening and advanced bone maturation. However,
doctors could not explain how the little 5 year old daughter got
pregnant?
But how-did-lina-medina-get-pregnant ?
As might be expected, sexual abuse was immediately considered. The
father of Lina was arrested on suspicion of rape and incest. He was
released due to lack of evidence. Lina Medina never revealed who the
real father of her child is, or the circumstances surrounding its
impregnation.According to a 1955 article reviewing the case, “Some have
pointed out, there were frequent festivities celebrated by the Indians
in the Andean villages like the one where Lina was born. These often
ended in orgies where rape n ‘ was not uncommon. But if this theory were
accepted, there was still no explanation of how a five year old girl
could conceive. It was not so far. ”
Gerardo was raised to believe that Lina was his sister, but he
discovered at the age of 10 years, she was his mother. He led a normal
life, but he died in 1979 at the age of 40, after being diagnosed with a
disease of the bone marrow. Heavy thrust was made to test the DNA of
Gerardo and compare it to the father of Lina. But nothing conclusive
found.
Lina Medina is alive today, but refuses to give interviews. The case was
called a hoax by some, but doctors have verified the pregnancy was
real, based on biopsies and fetal skeletal radiographs. There are two
published photographs documenting the birth. The most famous image was
taken of Lina Medina, when she was seven months pregnant.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Blair
http://2il.org/how-did-lina-medina-get-pregnant
In 1933, Lina Medina was born in Ticrapo, Peru. At the age of five
years, Lina was brought to hospital by her parents who complain of
abdominal extreme growth. It was initially thought to have a tumor, but
doctors later determined that the child was seven months pregnant. On
May 14, 1939, Lina Medina gave birth to a baby boy. The child was
delivered by caesarean section, as the pool of Lina was too small to do a
natural childbirth. Her son was named Gerardo, and weighed 2.7 kg (6.0
lb). Lina Medina officially became the youngest confirmed mother in
medical history, aged five, seven months and 21 days. The doctors who
worked on Lina noted that it had an abnormal progress of growth, with
breast development identified by the age of four. Within five years, Her
body displayed pelvic widening and advanced bone maturation. However,
doctors could not explain how the little 5 year old daughter got
pregnant?
But how-did-lina-medina-get-pregnant ?
As might be expected, sexual abuse was immediately considered. The
father of Lina was arrested on suspicion of rape and incest. He was
released due to lack of evidence. Lina Medina never revealed who the
real father of her child is, or the circumstances surrounding its
impregnation.According to a 1955 article reviewing the case, “Some have
pointed out, there were frequent festivities celebrated by the Indians
in the Andean villages like the one where Lina was born. These often
ended in orgies where rape n ‘ was not uncommon. But if this theory were
accepted, there was still no explanation of how a five year old girl
could conceive. It was not so far. ”
Gerardo was raised to believe that Lina was his sister, but he
discovered at the age of 10 years, she was his mother. He led a normal
life, but he died in 1979 at the age of 40, after being diagnosed with a
disease of the bone marrow. Heavy thrust was made to test the DNA of
Gerardo and compare it to the father of Lina. But nothing conclusive
found.
Lina Medina is alive today, but refuses to give interviews. The case was called a hoax by some, but doctors have verified the pregnancy was real, based on biopsies and fetal skeletal radiographs. There are two published photographs documenting the birth. The most famous image was taken of Lina Medina, when she was seven months pregnant.
Lina Medina is alive today, but refuses to give interviews. The case was called a hoax by some, but doctors have verified the pregnancy was real, based on biopsies and fetal skeletal radiographs. There are two published photographs documenting the birth. The most famous image was taken of Lina Medina, when she was seven months pregnant.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Blair
http://2il.org/how-did-lina-medina-get-pregnant
I Forgave my Mother for Abusing Me
(http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/stories-forgiveness/abusive-mother)
As children, Pascale and her younger brother endured constant torments from their mother: “She would hit me and my younger brother, fling plates in our direction, and call us names. My father tried to get between her and us, and she wouldn’t spare him, either.”
Pascale’s parents were both successful physicians, but their home life was deeply troubled. “My mother had had an abusive childhood,” says Pascale. “So maybe as a result, she subjected me and my brother, who was severely autistic, to her constant drama.” The harassment extended into adulthood. Even when Pascale was off at college, her mother would call once a week to berate her: “She disparaged my appearance, my friends, my academics. I felt that she was driving me over an emotional ledge.” After graduation, Pascale moved across the country, away from her parents. There she eventually got married and, in 2002, had a daughter of her own, Sofi. Pascale hoped that Sofi’s birth would soften her mother.
No such luck. “Once Sofi was five, she became independent-minded, and her behavior set my mother off,” says Pascale. Her rages returned, now directed at Sofi. Pascale sought help from therapists. “I wanted this relationship to stop causing constant pain in my life,” she says.
Then, in 2010, at the age of 73, Pascale’s mother suffered several massive consecutive strokes; her brain was irreparably damaged. Arriving at the hospital, Pascale was shocked to find her mother unable to communicate or even understand language. As the only relative capable of caring for her mother—Pascale’s father and brother had both died—she felt duty-bound to help. She sat by her mother’s side around the clock, reading books aloud and just talking—though not sure what, if anything, her mother could understand.
“At first I was angry. I felt she had left a mess that I had to take care of,” says Pascale. But as the months went by, her fury at her mother, who was now in such a vulnerable state, slowly dissipated. Finally, one day, an exhausted Pascale suddenly laid her head down in her mother’s lap. “And the hatred went away. It was just…gone,” she says. “For the first time, I stopped condemning her. And that gave me peace.”
Forgiving her mother also helped Pascale, who now owns a personal-health-and-wellness consulting firm, let go of other resentments (such as a rift with her ex-husband, with whom she split in 2007). “I’ve become less interested in holding on to all forms of bitterness.” Pascale’s mother remains in a vegetative state, but Pascale visits her at the nursing home weekly. “I see now that forgiveness is not so much about what you receive from people,” she says, “but what you give them.”
As children, Pascale and her younger brother endured constant torments from their mother: “She would hit me and my younger brother, fling plates in our direction, and call us names. My father tried to get between her and us, and she wouldn’t spare him, either.”
Pascale’s parents were both successful physicians, but their home life was deeply troubled. “My mother had had an abusive childhood,” says Pascale. “So maybe as a result, she subjected me and my brother, who was severely autistic, to her constant drama.” The harassment extended into adulthood. Even when Pascale was off at college, her mother would call once a week to berate her: “She disparaged my appearance, my friends, my academics. I felt that she was driving me over an emotional ledge.” After graduation, Pascale moved across the country, away from her parents. There she eventually got married and, in 2002, had a daughter of her own, Sofi. Pascale hoped that Sofi’s birth would soften her mother.
No such luck. “Once Sofi was five, she became independent-minded, and her behavior set my mother off,” says Pascale. Her rages returned, now directed at Sofi. Pascale sought help from therapists. “I wanted this relationship to stop causing constant pain in my life,” she says.
Then, in 2010, at the age of 73, Pascale’s mother suffered several massive consecutive strokes; her brain was irreparably damaged. Arriving at the hospital, Pascale was shocked to find her mother unable to communicate or even understand language. As the only relative capable of caring for her mother—Pascale’s father and brother had both died—she felt duty-bound to help. She sat by her mother’s side around the clock, reading books aloud and just talking—though not sure what, if anything, her mother could understand.
“At first I was angry. I felt she had left a mess that I had to take care of,” says Pascale. But as the months went by, her fury at her mother, who was now in such a vulnerable state, slowly dissipated. Finally, one day, an exhausted Pascale suddenly laid her head down in her mother’s lap. “And the hatred went away. It was just…gone,” she says. “For the first time, I stopped condemning her. And that gave me peace.”
Forgiving her mother also helped Pascale, who now owns a personal-health-and-wellness consulting firm, let go of other resentments (such as a rift with her ex-husband, with whom she split in 2007). “I’ve become less interested in holding on to all forms of bitterness.” Pascale’s mother remains in a vegetative state, but Pascale visits her at the nursing home weekly. “I see now that forgiveness is not so much about what you receive from people,” she says, “but what you give them.”
I Needed to Be Perfect
by Todd Hertz (http://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/truelifestories/ithappenedtome/4.31.html)
Giving Up a Dream: For as long as
she can remember, Katie Giguere wanted to be a singer. But she didn't
tell anyone her dream—not even her parents—because she figured it would
never come true.
"I've always been overweight," Katie says. "But 99 percent of the people
you see in music are perfect by the world's standards. I thought, I might as well give up that dream."
Katie's weight didn't only affect her dream to sing. Her low self–esteem
and insecurity made her avoid drawing attention to herself or even
talking to people.
Singing for a Stranger: One night, a
family friend came over to visit Katie's parents and brought over two
friends who'd worked in the music industry. Katie was intrigued to learn
they'd worked with singer Stevie Wonder. She wanted to hear their
stories but was too shy to start a conversation, so she slipped away to
her room.
An hour or so later, Katie tried to sneak down to the kitchen to get
dinner. As she walked in, her dad spotted her and mentioned, "You know,
Katie sings in church." One of the guests, Bonita, was very interested
in this. Before Katie knew what was happening, she and Bonita were
chatting about faith and singing. And then, Bonita asked: "Do you dream
about singing professionally?"
For the first time, Katie told someone her dream—but quickly added that
it would never happen. Bonita ignored Katie's doubts and asked her to
sing.
"You Can't Be Shy": After Katie
sang, Bonita explained she was starting a program to work with high
school students who were dealing with various tough life issues. She'd
been praying to find a young artist to start the program with, and she
believed Katie was that artist.
Just months later, Katie was in L.A. recording some sample songs for a
CD. After completing one song, Bonita invited Katie to a birthday party
for Stevie Wonder's son and played Katie's song for everyone—including
Stevie. When the song ended, Stevie said, "You have a beautiful song,
and a beautiful voice. You can't be shy with a voice like that."
More than Appearance: As Katie
began to realize how many people supported her singing, her thinking
slowly changed. "Seeing that everyone believed in me made me realize
that they must see me the way God sees me," she says. "I couldn't see my
potential because I was caught up only on what was on the outside. I
was denying my gift because of things I didn't like about myself."
Last year, as Katie recorded and released her inspirational pop album, Bringin' Me Hope,
she says God helped her realize she has nothing to fear. She felt him
saying, "If you're walking in my will, you should be confident."
Now that she feels like she's serving God with her album and with her new book, Being the Fat Girl,
she isn't so shy anymore. "I still sometimes have this tendency to want
to hide from any attention," she says. "But I know God doesn't want me
to be so insecure about how I look that I shy away from doing his will.
It's in obedience to God that I say, 'I will be confident in the way you
made me.'"
