Thought Quotient

Bruce Carroll - ‘Elm Street’ (MP3 Sample)

Saturday night in Plainville, lots of local people go
To the downtown corner movie for a late night picture show
And it’s ninety mindless minutes of the best in blood and gore
They all come out laughing, just can’t wait for more

While on the other side of town a child four years of age
Huddles helpless in defense against his father’s rage
And as we spend our time and money for life’s moments’ cheapest thrills
In our city there’s an Elm Street where the nightmare is real

God have mercy on us please
For the times that you’ve shown the need
And we’ve refused to see
Give us all a heart like yours that grieves
For the lost souls on Elm Street who need to be released

Complacency’s a poison taken one drop at a time
Fools our minds in thinking that everything’s just fine
Desensitize our spirit with nothing left to feel
Till we never hurt for Elm Street where the nightmare is real

Lord you’ve got to send me where it is I need to go
Put me on their street Lord, cause they all need to know
That’s there’s a God who’s so much bigger than anything they’re going through
They need to know that there’s a place where nightmares don’t come true

Here’s an interesting ‘alternative’ you can use to teach the kids about Jesus.

Salvation Pumpkin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Things you will need:
1 Medium to Large Pumpkin (Works best with the taller ones since the cross is tall)
A Bible (To read the scriptures)
A candle (To put inside of the pumpkin)
A knife (to carve the cross)
Newspaper (to cover the surface you will be working on, or do this activity outside)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1. Cut off the top of the Pumpkin (just as you would for a Jack-O-Lantern)
Let the children help you clean out all the gooey insides. Talk to the children about how the stuff you are pulling out of the pumpkin is like sin that is in the heart of an unsaved person. When Jesus saves us He cleans all the sin away, just as we are doing to the pumpkin.
* * * *
2. Cut a large Cross out of the side of the Pumpkin.
(Just like you would cut a face on a Jack-O-Lantern)
Talk to the kids about Calvary, Tell them about how Jesus died on a Cross so that we could be saved and go to Heaven! Read Romans 5:8
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Here at Thought Quotient, we’ve been big fans of Kerri Pomarolli ever since we first met her at the 2006 GMA Awards in Nashville earlier this year. This actress - turned stand-up comic - is open and honest about her faith in Hollywood. We’re honored to have Kerri as a ‘guest blogger’ from time to time as she updates us on what she (and her husband Ron Mcgehee - check him out at www.funnyron.com) are up to.

A Blog by Kerri Pomarolli -
Stand Up Comedian, Supermodel Wannabe (‘Tyra, Call Me’)

I first got into stand up comedy because I wanted to do clean material in Hollywood. I had no idea what doors would be opened if I just started speaking my heart. Because my heart was to talk about what is real in my life and that really revolves around my walk with Jesus and all the crazy adventures that go along with us. It started out as me being the “Christian Chick” in the bars and clubs and then progressed to being a full time ministry using comedy. Thought Quotient has been very supportive of my ministry after we met at the Gospel Music Awards where I was honored to host the pre show. There’s nothing like doing stand up comedy with Amy Grant and Stephen Curtis Chapman in the front row! All I could think about was my first album - Amy Grant’s “Unguarded”. Anyway, there have been many wonderful opportunities for me to be an “out of the closet Christian” in Hollywood even though it’s a hard road. I remember when Mel Gibson got arrested how infuriated I was that no one was standing up for him and saying that he’s just a human like anyone else and he should be forgiven. It would not be a popular stance in Hollywood because a lot of people just hate him purely because of his faith and his stand on moral issues. They want to see him brought down.
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You are currently in a battle. It’s not physical, but spiritual in nature - a battle for your heart, mind, and soul. Are you protected? Have you put on the whole armor of God in prayer?

We just found out about this great online resource:

• www.warzoneministries.com

Here’s their Vision Statement…

Picture this: you and a small group of soldiers are behind enemy lines. Every day, you awake to the smell of smoke and burning ruins. You hear gun shots ringing out in a number of directions. The battlefield is saturated with the blood of your fellow soldiers. The enemy is everywhere and restlessly searching to find and destroy you. You and your small group make radio transmissions to the other groups fighting in different areas. The transmissions are diverse and helpful to other soldiers in many ways: warning of dangers, words of encouragement, directions to resources, and even an occasional joke. This is the essence of From the Battlefield Magazine. It’s much like the radio transmissions described above. This is reality. We awake to this battle everyday; in the spiritual realm, the battle rages and it continues without ceasing. Take heart soldiers, if God is for us who can be against us? We are promised victory. Let us press on toward the goal.

If you missed Kerri Pomarolli on SHOWBIZ tonight, here’s a link to the full transcript.

Some excerpts:

Kerri Pomarolli is one of the most successful Christian entertainers in Hollywood. She`s also the author of “If I`m Waiting on God, Then What am I Doing in a Christian Chatroom?”

ANDERSON: Now, you know, just a short time ago, Kerri, you saw the Mel Gibson interview with Diane Sawyer. He talked about having to apologize repeatedly to fans, friends, family for his behavior.

You know, what do you think about it? Will people accept his apology and forgive him? Do you think people are going to buy it?

POMAROLLI: You know, it`s my job to come on your show as a Christian and walk the walk that I`m called to walk, which is, we have to forgive if somebody asks for repentance. Now, each person out there in Hollywood and the world can make their own decision whether they want to forgive Mel for the hurtful comments that he made, but I`m personally going to make the decision that he seemed very repentive on TV. And I hope that we can find it in our hearts to forgive him, because I do.

ANDERSON: He`s clearly trying to rehabilitate his image. He does want to continue to be successful in the industry, make more movies, be able to release them. Kerri, what do you think about the Hollywood community? I know you`re planning to forgive him, but do you think the Hollywood community as a whole will embrace him again?

POMAROLLI: You know, there`s been people like Jodie Foster and Patrick Swayze and some other friends of Mel`s that have actually come out and supported him. I mean, I know that Hollywood in general, we love to tear people down and then build them back up. We love drama; we love a good story.

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There is one that makes all things new; only one that can turn a hopeless situation into a trophy of grace and reconciliation. Only one that can use our very failures to communicate hope to the hopeless. He waits patiently as we travel the road to the end of ourselves and offers up a new way of living; a new way of dying. His burden is light and his peace gives rest to the faint of heart. - Heather

Heather Powers - “Undone” (MP3 sample)

Woe to me
I’m undone
Unclean lips and
A warrior tongue

When I’m with You
Silence best becomes me
Love inflames
And I’m constrained to speak
If my eyes could see the fire that consumes me
To embrace this love
And what it does to me

I need to know the Unapproachable
I need to hide in arms unconditional
Lose my life
Find the peace in letting go
I want to be undone
I want to be undone

Want to learn more about Heather? Here’s a link to an interview:

• Heather Powers- A real Survivor, A real Talent

A powerful TV segment about a singer songwriter, who has successfully come through a past that involved stalking, a break-in, rape, drug abuse, and even much more! This is a gripping story of how Heather overcame all of this with ‘Powers’ not her own.