The 700 Club: November 26, 2009

UnderWing Transcripts PO Box 16282 Clearwater, Florida 33766 540 455-2333 / UnderWing@underwingtranscripts.com ________________________________________ The 700 Club Daily Broadcast Thursday, November 26, 2009 PAT ROBERTSON: Well, welcome to The 700 Club, and to all of you a happy Thanksgiving. Today people across the country are celebrating with food, family and, of course, football. And we’ll be showing you all three on today’s program. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And if you’re like millions of Americans, you kicked off the holiday today by watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Crowds pack New York City for the annual extravaganza. But the people there didn’t get as close to the parade as we did. Take a look. MACY’S DAY PARADE KRISTI WATTS: It’s a Thanksgiving tradition that rivals turkey and pumpkin pie. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade draws millions of spectators to the streets of New York and has been a staple in American households since it first appeared on television in 1945. Robin Hall (Parade Executive Producer): This is one of the largest public gatherings in the United States. It’s sort of the opening act for Thanksgiving Day for a lot of American families. KRISTI WATTS: For most of us, the parade lasts just a few hours, but for some Macy’s employees, the parade never ends. A team of artists and craftspeople work year round creating the floats and balloons that line Broadway each November. John Piper (VP Creative Dir Macy’s Studio): It seems like it goes by in the blink of an eye, but there’s all of this whole year of getting everything together. KRISTI WATTS: The parade is just like a Thanksgiving dinner. It takes hours to create but minutes to devour. John Piper: There’s a lot of designing, and sketching, and we work with the computers, and drawings, and all of that technical stuff in order to make these giant floats. And, of course, our signature is those giant balloons flying in the sky. And it takes quite a long time to put all that together. KRISTI WATTS: The team also cooks up new ideas each year. Robin Hall: We have a whole clutch of new parade balloons this year, wonderful new characters. We have incredible new floats this year. KRISTI WATTS: They don’t have to start completely from scratch. A few items always make the menu. John Piper: You’ve got to have some of the things that are traditional like turkey, and we always have our turkey float; and you always finish with a great dessert, and we always have Santa at the end. KRISTI WATTS: Many generations of Macy’s employees have labored to create a recipe for success, and many more will follow. Robin Hall: We’re very happy to be the temporary guardians of this incredible tradition, which is a very old tradition, something very beloved in America, and we’ll be happy to pass on to the next generation when that time comes. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: That’s beautiful. And we congratulate Macy’s. It’s a national tradition. TERRY MEEUWSEN: It really is. I’ve often thought it would be fun to be there, but you really do see so much watching it on television. PAT ROBERTSON: Much more. Much more on television. Well, we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November because of a law passed by Congress in 1941. But it’s been an annual holiday ever since President Lincoln called for a national day of Thanksgiving. But its roots trace back to 1789 when George Washington issued the following proclamation. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S DECLARATION PAT ROBERTSON: “Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committees, requested me to ‘recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:’ Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. Also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best. Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, the year of our Lord, 1789, George Washington.” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: Our first President, our first Thanksgiving proclamation. What a great man he was and the father of our country! A wonderful man. We were so blessed to have somebody with that integrity, that wisdom, to head this nation in its early days. And that’s the foundation of his rule as President for eight years. He showed where his heart was. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, you can see the bent of the nation then was that we were endowed by our Creator with many rights and many privileges and many blessings, and that they had a heart of gratitude. PAT ROBERTSON: As a nation, we gave Him thanks. Let’s continue to give thanks to a gracious Lord for what He has done. So Thanksgiving is thanks to Him for His blessing. Terry. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, and we always give thanks for His provision with a feast. So today being Thanksgiving, let’s talk turkey. We’re going to show you why people are flocking to these birds and calling them the tastiest and healthiest they’ve ever eaten. GRAPHIC: TASTY TURKEYS Plus, we’ll give you some turkey tips for handling those leftovers, so don’t go away. GRAPHIC: LEFTOVERS * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GRAPHIC: JOE GIBBS LEE WEBB: Coming up later, three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Gibbs. Joe Gibbs: I grew up just going for one thing to the next, wanting to play something. LEE WEBB: One of the greatest coaches of all time talks about the man who coached him. Joe Gibbs: A young guy about my age tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I claimed that chapter in my life six months ago.” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 1: SWISS AMERICA Grace W. (Arizona): My dad gave me this gold coin as a birthday gift. It’s a pure gold coin, which he says is to remind me of his enduring love. Gold coins are a great way to invest for the next generation. You see, gold coins are something tangible that grow in value year after year, just like my boys, who are the next generation. Now I’m teaching them to save gold coins. Do your kids a favor and rediscover gold today. Pat Boone: The best investment of the new millennium: gold. Swiss America has provided millions of Americans with the best educational resources in print, online and now on television. Take a moment to request a free rare opportunity booklet, CD and DVD. Call the number below or visit online. Until next time, this is Pat Boone for Swiss America saying don’t wait to buy gold. Buy gold and wait. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: Well, the early Pilgrims, as you know, had a feast. The Indians came in peace, and they had games, and they had various types of merriment. But they had a feast that featured a bird. And the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal was then and is the turkey. These days, many people are concerned about where their turkey comes from. Lorie Johnson takes us to one farm to show us why pasture raised turkeys are becoming a Thanksgiving delight. FOCUS: ALL THINGS TURKEY LORIE JOHNSON: Turkeys take center stage this time of year on the Full Quiver Farm. In this family-run business, Scott and Anita Wilson, along with their nine children, work to turn out a product that harkens back to the good old days. Scott Wilson (Full Quiver Farm): We have a number of older folks who come and buy from us, and they say, “This tastes like the chicken that grandma used to make. And it tastes like, it reminds me of the bacon we had when I was little.” LORIE JOHNSON: Turkeys are for sale here just once a year. Part of that is because of the Wilsons’ approach. It took about 11 months to raise this year's class of 350 broad-breasted white turkeys. That compares to just a few months for commercially raised birds. This improves flavor but adds to the cost. These 16-pound turkey sell for about 60 dollars, but even in this tough economy they will go quickly. More and more customers are willing to pay extra for a healthier alternative. These turkeys have a great life soaking up this fresh air and sunshine. They eat grass, clover, all kinds of bugs. And their food supply is always plentiful, because this big pen is moved to a different location every day. The Wilsons like to refer to these as pasture-raised turkeys, not free range. They say the term “free range” is misleading, because according to the USDA, producers only need to provide access to outside, which means cooped-up turkeys can merely be given a tiny door they never even go through. Scott Wilson: Birds can be raised in a big metal building and be able to range around on the floor and that's free-range with a little patio to the outside. LORIE JOHNSON: Likewise, the USDA says organic turkeys must be allowed to go outside, not be given antibiotics or growth hormones and eat chemical-free feed. All of this is in stark contrast to turkeys raised on industrial farms, where they're often kept inside large coops and chemicals are pretty much a daily fixture on the menu. Because of this label confusion and growing concern over much of the food industry, consumers are turning to locally produced food in great numbers. Robin Barnard is a loyal customer who sees both the health and flavor benefits. Robin Barnard (Customer): It's very good. It takes longer to cook and I think the meat is more dense, but it’s very good. It definitely has a different taste to it, much better flavor. And then, of course, I use the carcass to make the soup, the stock, after that. LORIE JOHNSON: Turkey is one of the healthiest foods around with benefits that can be enjoyed all year. Those include reduced LDL, or bad, cholesterol, lean protein, niacin, vitamins B6, B12 and zinc. It can also help with cancer prevention and mood enhancement from high levels of the amino acid tryptophan. Pasture-raised turkeys also have an especially healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats and are even lower in fat and calories than industrially raised turkeys. The demand for local, natural food is increasing so rapidly, the Wilsons are trying to spread the message and encourage other people to start their own small farm. The Wilsons were city folk just eight years ago, eating lots of processed food. Four of the kids had asthma, which the Wilsons say disappeared when they stopped eating food laced with chemicals. Anita Wilson (Full Quiver Farm): I started adjusting their diet and reading about adjusting their diet, and we saw those changes. And so we started coming to the conclusion, “Well, if that's the case, where are we going to find this food?” It wasn't readily available at that point. There were no stores, a bunch of organic and health food stores around. So where do you find that? And so we started looking at, “Well, could we raise these things ourselves?” LORIE JOHNSON: In addition to farming, they learned lots of other people were yearning for a clean diet, too. Anita Wilson: As we started raising it for ourselves and then let our friends try, it grew very quickly for a start-up business. Within three or four years Scott was able to leave his full-time job and support a family of 11. That's almost unheard of in a new business. LORIE JOHNSON: The kids are now homeschooled, so the family is together. They get lots of exercise and have plenty of responsibility, including nurturing what will be the main course for hundreds of Thanksgiving dinners. Lorie Johnson, CBN News. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: Thanks, Lorie. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Thanks, Lorie. Well, studies show that you’ll gain at least one pound during the holiday season, and while that might not sound like much, that pound stays with you the rest of your life. Our next guest has a way you can stop adding to your winter waistline, and it all starts with your leftovers. SET UP TERRY MEEUWSEN: Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving is a time for creating memories with our family and friends and feasting. But what we do with all these leftovers? Christine Avanti has some creative skinny tips for those Thanksgiving leftovers, so you can get through the holidays without expanding your waistline. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GUEST: CHRISTINE AVANTI TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, Christine Avanti is here with us now. Christine, welcome back to The 700 Club. Christine Avanti: Thank you very much. PAT ROBERTSON: Christine, your book made a lasting impression on me. And I want to show it. It’s called Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads. TERRY MEEUWSEN: It’s revolutionary. PAT ROBERTSON: It’s revolutionary. And you’re a skinny chick, and you’ve got a concept. But now you’re going to tell us how to stay skinny at Thanksgiving. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, and actually, you weren’t always skinny. Ten years ago, you were 30 pounds overweight? Christine Avanti: Yes. Ten years ago, there was a death in my family. And in six weeks, I gained 30 pounds. TERRY MEEUWSEN: No way. Christine Avanti: Just dealing with emotions and eating. And actually, thank God for that, because it could have been worse. But sadly that situation took place, but it was a blessing in disguise, because it led me to seek out an education in nutrition. And I learned the foundation of weight loss. In my book, and what worked for me, was learning how to stabilize blood sugar levels, so that your body burns fat and saves muscle. And you don’t have to eat salads. Yay! PAT ROBERTSON: You’re a skinny chick who doesn’t do it. Okay. Christine Avanti: Real food. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So everything you’re going to show us today has to do with balancing our blood sugar. Christine Avanti: Yes. And in my book I talk about what I call a PC combo. You combine a lean protein with a healthy carb in every single meal, which stabilizes blood sugar. So it’s really important. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So let’s look at what you’ve got here . . . . PAT ROBERTSON: Boy, it looks delicious. TERRY MEEUWSEN: . . . . because these are all leftovers, right? Christine Avanti: Yes. And these are all recipes from the book. But this is a great thing to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers. There is no reason to just make your basic turkey sandwich, right? What we’ve got here is a baked turkey chimichanga. So I’ve used some turkey meat and some black beans and some whole wheat tortillas. And this is a fabulous PC combo. You’ve got some protein and some carb in here, and it’s delicious. PAT ROBERTSON: It looks delicious. Christine Avanti: Under 400 calories. TERRY MEEUWSEN: It does, doesn’t it? Christine Avanti: Yes. It’s amazing. And here we’ve got, with your leftover pumpkin, your leftover canned pumpkin, we’ve got some pumpkin ginger pancakes. Believe it or not, these are also a PC combo, and we’re going to make those a little later. TERRY MEEUWSEN: We’re actually going to make those today. PAT ROBERTSON: All right. Christine Avanti: Yes. Yummy, yummy. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That looks great. Christine Avanti: This is my Sicilian chicken soup. So actually, this comes from my grandmother’s recipe originally. But you can swap out your chicken for turkey, right? GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM TERRY MEEUWSEN: Turkey. Sure. Christine Avanti: After Thanksgiving. Delicious soup. It’s actually got a pesto base, which is so good. And it’s not that high in fat. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Now, these look like twice baked potatoes, but there’s lots more in there than just potato. What is that? Christine Avanti: Yes, this is my stuffed breakfast baked potato. So you bake the potato, hollow out the center, and take the inside of the potato in a sauté pan with some turkey, of course, some turkey bacon, cheese, and you mix it up really well, kind of warm that up, put it back in the potato, and then top it off with some low fat cheese. And it is so great for a morning breakfast. Very filling and under 400 calories. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s a good protein. PAT ROBERTSON: And you stay thin eating this stuff? Christine Avanti: I’m telling you, skinny chicks don’t eat salads. Not that we hate salads, but you can do other foods and lose weight. PAT ROBERTSON: And this looks like nachos. TERRY MEEUWSEN: This is beautiful. What is that? PAT ROBERTSON: Is that nachos? Christine Avanti: These are my guiltless turkey nachos. So we’ve got turkey here, some pinto beans, some low fat cheese and some baked tortilla chips. This is great for your Thanksgiving leftovers and also for football season. PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, yes. Christine Avanti: I make this for my husband and his friends for Super Bowl Sunday. They love it. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, speaking of making, you’re going to do the pancakes today with us, right? Christine Avanti: That’s right. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And we get to taste them. PAT ROBERTSON: Pumpkin pancakes. Christine Avanti: Yes. Will you be my taste tester, please? PAT ROBERTSON: I will be your taste tester. Christine Avanti: There you go. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Let’s move over here and get that going. PAT ROBERTSON: And I’ll be your chief flipper if you need a flipper. Christine Avanti: You know what, and I might. I think I’m going to. PAT ROBERTSON: Now, you stir this up, whatever it is. Show us. Christine Avanti: So what we’re going to do is we’re going to start out with our dry ingredients first, and I like to use whole wheat flour. It’s got more fiber. So we’re going to put that in the bowl. A little bit of brown sugar, because I love sugar. Of course, it’s a PC combo, so don’t worry, I’m going to sneak in some protein here. PAT ROBERTSON: That’s a lot of brown sugar. Christine Avanti: That’s two tablespoons of brown sugar. Here is some ginger. PAT ROBERTSON: Ginger. Christine Avanti: Pumpkin ginger pancakes. PAT ROBERTSON: All right. Christine Avanti: Some cinnamon. PAT ROBERTSON: Wow. Christine Avanti: We have some baking soda and some baking powder. And I’m so glad that everybody got this set up for me so easy. And then some salt. The salt is not coming out. My hands are washed. PAT ROBERTSON: You have baking soda and baking powder? Both? Christine Avanti: Yes, I do. PAT ROBERTSON: Both? Christine Avanti: I want these pancakes to be happy. PAT ROBERTSON: They will be the happiest. They’ll be jumping for joy on the grill. Christine Avanti: They are. They will be joyful, happy pancakes. PAT ROBERTSON: All right. Okay. Christine Avanti: All right. So we’re just going to mix up our dry ingredients a little bit there. The brown sugar makes you get that all mixed in. It just adds a nice touch of sweetness. And we shouldn’t be afraid of sugar as long we’re putting protein in our meal, because then you stabilize the blood sugar. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So one balances the other. Christine Avanti: Yes. It’s all about that PC combo, which is really the key for losing weight, the only way to really lose weight. So now, this is my secret ingredient. I’m going to put protein powder in the pancakes, but you have to do it in a very sneaky way. So I’m going to put some soymilk in here, into our blender. PAT ROBERTSON: Soymilk. Christine Avanti: Soymilk. Do you like soymilk? PAT ROBERTSON: Well, I just was interested to hear it. Christine Avanti: This is light vanilla flavored soymilk. And then we’re going to take a scoop of protein powder. And the reason why we’re doing this in the blender is if you do it in a cup, it’s going to get clumpy and lumpy. So I’m doing two scoops of protein powder here. PAT ROBERTSON: Wow. Christine Avanti: Yum. It smells good, like vanilla. You guys want to smell that? PAT ROBERTSON: Okay. Christine Avanti: Now, I’m going to cover this so we don’t splatter ourselves here. PAT ROBERTSON: All right. Christine Avanti: I’ll turn this on. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Now, you’re doing that just to mix it before you put anything else in? Christine Avanti: Yes, because honestly in a blender is really the only way to get that protein powder—that looks good—nice and blended together. And then I’m going to put, believe it or not, butter, which looks like it’s been sitting out here for a little bit. PAT ROBERTSON: You’ve got all the things that diets tell you . . . . Christine Avanti: Oh, I’m all about butter and sugar. Oh, yes, it’s fun. Are you kidding? It’s not about dieting. It’s about learning how to eat in balance, right? PAT ROBERTSON: Goodness. Christine Avanti: It’s all about having a balanced life. PAT ROBERTSON: That’s about three tablespoons. Christine Avanti: No. It’s two tablespoons of butter. PAT ROBERTSON: Two tablespoons. Christine Avanti: I know. TERRY MEEUWSEN: He’s a little neurotic about some of these things. It’s okay. You go ahead. PAT ROBERTSON: I’m totally neurotic, totally. Christine Avanti: More protein. We’ve got some egg white in here. PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, that’s egg white? Okay. Christine Avanti: Sneaking in the protein. It’s all about the PC combo. And then here is some Greek yogurt. PAT ROBERTSON: Greek. TERRY MEEUWSEN: What makes it Greek? Christine Avanti: And I love the orange. What makes it Greek, Greek yogurt—I’m splattering. I don’t want to hit you, Pat. Sorry. PAT ROBERTSON: That’s all right. You go ahead. Splatter away. Christine Avanti: I’m going to cover everyone in yogurt here on the set. Sorry. Greek yogurt is strained three and a half more times than regular yogurt. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Really? Christine Avanti: So it’s more rich and thick and creamy and higher in protein. PAT ROBERTSON: Okay. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Say that again. Rich and . . . . . PAT ROBERTSON: I heard that. I heard that. Christine Avanti: Rich, thick and creamy. Is that bad? PAT ROBERTSON: She has broken all of the . . . . Christine Avanti: I’m breaking all the diet rules. Pumpkin. PAT ROBERTSON: This skinny chicks don’t eat salad stuff. Christine Avanti: That’s right. PAT ROBERTSON: What is that? Pumpkin? Christine Avanti: This is organic pumpkin, left over from when you made your pumpkin pie the day before. PAT ROBERTSON: All right. Christine Avanti: Do you make pumpkin pie? Is that something you do? PAT ROBERTSON: Sure. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Your wife probably does, doesn’t she? PAT ROBERTSON: No. Well . . . . TERRY MEEUWSEN: Wait, what’s this? Christine Avanti: That is the ginger butter spread. PAT ROBERTSON: That’s more butter. Christine Avanti: This isn’t Paula Deen. This is Christine Avanti. So I love you, Paula, but we’re . . . . PAT ROBERTSON: A pound of butter. Christine Avanti: Yes. So we’re going to blend this up real quick, everybody. Hold on. PAT ROBERTSON: That will clog your arteries. Christine Avanti: Yes, it’s skinny chicks don’t eat salads, but we don’t go overboard on the butter. Okay, woo, this is quite drippy. PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, that’s all right. Let it drip. It won’t hurt anything. Christine Avanti: Yes. Woo, hi there. Okay, sorry for making a . . . . . TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s all right. PAT ROBERTSON: It’s quite all right. TERRY MEEUWSEN: No problem. You’re allowed. Christine Avanti: Let’s get this here. PAT ROBERTSON: Now what are we going to do? Christine Avanti: So now we’ve got our dry ingredients. PAT ROBERTSON: Okay. Christine Avanti: And I’m going to take the orange spatula, Terry, thank you, and we’re going to put into our wet ingredients. And with pancakes, you don’t want to over mix the batter. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Right. PAT ROBERTSON: That’s correct. Christine Avanti: It’s not a good thing. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So you’re talking to a pancake maker here. PAT ROBERTSON: I’m a pancake . . . . Christine Avanti: I heard. PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, I’ve got a recipe that will blow your socks. Christine Avanti: Really? What kind of recipe is that? PAT ROBERTSON: Well, its age defying healthy pancakes. Christine Avanti: Age defying. PAT ROBERTSON: Age defying. TERRY MEEUWSEN: You can put it in your next book. Christine Avanti: That’s cute! PAT ROBERTSON: But I don’t have . . . . Christine Avanti: I want my wooden spoon. PAT ROBERTSON: . . . . a half a pound of butter in it. Christine Avanti: I know. And you know what? It looks like a butter. Everybody, these pancakes have . . . . TERRY MEEUWSEN: But you’re just going to put this on the top, right? Christine Avanti: We’re just going to put a light spread of the ginger spread. TERRY MEEUWSEN: You can do this. Christine Avanti: Let me tell you as I’m mixing this what’s in that ginger spread. It’s just chopped up candied ginger with some butter. And I prefer, if you could do omega-3 spread, that’s even better. PAT ROBERTSON: I can’t believe you stay thin on this kind of a diet. Christine Avanti: I do. And I lost 30 pounds. TERRY MEEUWSEN: How many meals a day do you eat? Christine Avanti: I eat four meals a day. And then if I’m up longer, I’ll eat a fifth meal. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Really? Christine Avanti: Yes. And I’m getting a lot of e-mails from people. Women are saying, “Oh, I lost six pounds the first week. I lost eight pounds the first week.” This is just stabilizing blood sugar and eating every four hours. We’re not eating in between meals. People are drinking green tea in between meals. Okay, so I probably over mixed this, because I’m just a chatterbox. Okay. PAT ROBERTSON: Yes. Okay. Christine Avanti: So what we’re doing is we’re going to check our heat here. This is where I pray that I don’t burn these. PAT ROBERTSON: They won’t burn. TERRY MEEUWSEN: This is live. Christine Avanti: The heat is not—oh, gosh. Okay, here we go. So we’re going to put a little bit of cooking spray on here, because we’re not going to use butter. Okay, we’re doing with the butter right now, Pat. PAT ROBERTSON: What a concession. Christine Avanti: I’m going to use some cooking spray there. And then we’re going to use our one-fourth cup measuring, because we’ve got to keep the portions right. PAT ROBERTSON: Yes, sure, okay. Christine Avanti: But here is your protein loaded pancakes. And you know what? These are a little thick. Hold on. Here’s my cheat. I have a little water. If you’re making these at home and they seem a little bit too thick, you want to add just a little bit of water, calorie free, good for you. Need I say all the benefits of water right now? Probably not, huh? I just don’t want it to be too thick, because they come out like mini muffins. And we want them to be pancake. And with the protein powder, what happens is it tends to thicken up pretty quick. So you’ve got to be fast on your feet here. PAT ROBERTSON: With all that, don’t stir them too much. Christine Avanti: You know what, Pat, you should make sure I don’t that, because I could ruin them, huh? PAT ROBERTSON: That’s right. Christine Avanti: Okay, here we go. Oh, I hope this pan isn’t too hot. TERRY MEEUWSEN: No, it won’t be. PAT ROBERTSON: No, it’s perfect. TERRY MEEUWSEN: It’s perfect. Christine Avanti: Oh, lovely. Actually, I think we can turn it up. Now, I’ve got pumpkin on my hands. That’s okay. You know what? It needs to be hotter. Wait. Wait a minute. TERRY MEEUWSEN: There you go. Christine Avanti: I’m going to have to turn this up, so we might need a minute or two. I don’t know what to say. PAT ROBERTSON: You take your time. We’re fascinated. Aren’t we, Terry? Christine Avanti: Thank goodness this isn’t live. I would just cry. Okay. Because, yes, the pan, I kept it a little low everybody. Sorry. All right. PAT ROBERTSON: All right. You’ll get a few little holes in it sooner or later. Christine Avanti: Oh, there we go. Pretty. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Does it pop like normal pancakes? Like you get the air holes in it? Christine Avanti: You do, but you don’t get as many, I will say. And the great thing about this, because we’ve got the protein powder in and I’ve got the brown sugar, they are tremendously—thank you so much. They are very, very sweet. So I hope you like sweet. Do you guys like sweet stuff? TERRY MEEUWSEN: You’ve come to the right place. Christine Avanti: Okay. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Don’t listen to the man on my right. PAT ROBERTSON: You’ve blown all of our concepts of dieting. Christine Avanti: I know. Isn’t it great? PAT ROBERTSON: You’ve just blown them all. Christine Avanti: Isn’t it great? PAT ROBERTSON: Butter, sugar. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Praise God. PAT ROBERTSON: Goodness gracious. Christine Avanti: I’m telling you. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And we haven’t even gotten to the syrup yet. PAT ROBERTSON: That’s right. And the extra butter. I see that. Christine Avanti: We haven’t even gotten to the maple syrup. That’s right. And the extra butter, Pat. Thank you for noting that. This is good. So it’s more reason to go check out the book, because this recipe is in there. And I get e-mails about . . . . PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, it’s in the book? Christine Avanti: Yes, this recipe is in the book. I get e-mails about it all the time, the pumpkin ginger pancakes. Sorry, I’ve got pumpkin on my hands here. Oh, now, ooh, this is nice. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Oh, it smells . . . . . PAT ROBERTSON: It’s beautiful. Did you come up with this recipe yourself? Christine Avanti: I did. I did. PAT ROBERTSON: That’s great. Christine Avanti: I’m a little bit of a mad scientist in the kitchen. I like to cook rich foods, but I wanted to be a little healthier, obviously, or a lot healthier. I had 30 pounds to lose, so trust me, I had to clean it up. PAT ROBERTSON: Well, it worked. Christine Avanti: So, do you want to do the pancake flipping? PAT ROBERTSON: I’d be glad to. Christine Avanti: I don’t think they’re ready. I think they need about one more minute. PAT ROBERTSON: Yes. This one is almost . . . . Christine Avanti: Terry, do we have our plate over there? We have those two plates. Okay. Are they ready? Got to go fast on your feet there. There you go. Yes. That’s the trick. PAT ROBERTSON: That wasn’t quite ready. Christine Avanti: What a gorgeous pancake. TERRY MEEUWSEN: It is. PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, it’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Christine Avanti: He’s good. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Don’t stop now. Christine Avanti: I need you guys helping me at home all the time. PAT ROBERTSON: No, they’re not quite ready yet, Terry. Christine Avanti: Yes, these guys need a few. He’s good! TERRY MEEUWSEN: He is good. Christine Avanti: The master pancake maker, right? TERRY MEEUWSEN: So they really are just like—you can kind of see when the air starts coming up through them. PAT ROBERTSON: Well, of course, you can. Christine Avanti: Yes. Absolutely. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s great. They smell wonderful, don’t they? PAT ROBERTSON: These things, you’ve got all that big baking soda making powder that makes them get up all happy. Christine Avanti: I like your grill. I think I need to have one of these at home. PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, it’s a dandy thing. Christine Avanti: It wasn’t coming out this wonderfully at my house. I had to play with the burners a couple of times. TERRY MEEUWSEN: This is good. Christine Avanti: Those two got married to each other somehow there. There you go. PAT ROBERTSON: They’re not ready yet. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Now, when you make your pancakes, what do you put on them? Do you do syrup? PAT ROBERTSON: [whispering] Yes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Yes. Christine Avanti: We’re doing syrup today. TERRY MEEUWSEN: When you have to whisper. See. He’s not quite as much a purist as he’d like you to think. PAT ROBERTSON: Well, pure Vermont maple syrup, of course. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Of course. Christine Avanti: These guys need a few more minutes. All right, here, let’s get a fork and a little bit of the ginger spread. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Absolutely. Christine Avanti: And we’ll put a little bit of ginger on top. Terry, you’ll help me here. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Why don’t you take that first one? That’s probably done by now. Pat’s got to flip still. Christine Avanti: Let’s do the first one. Pat is really into this. Very good. PAT ROBERTSON: Oh, I screwed up on that one. I’m sorry. Christine Avanti: That’s okay. You’re doing phenomenal. Okay. A little bit of ginger on here. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Hang on. A little ginger. PAT ROBERTSON: They’re beauties. Look at those. Christine Avanti: And this is ready for you or Pat to try. PAT ROBERTSON: Golden. Christine Avanti: Yes, and just a teaspoon of—no more butter. No more. PAT ROBERTSON: What are you doing? Christine Avanti: That’s okay. She was just helping me. PAT ROBERTSON: Terry, you’re going to have enough cholesterol to block an elephant. TERRY MEEUWSEN: You’re eating this, not me. Christine Avanti: And a drizzle. Now the serving is two pancakes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s all you get. PAT ROBERTSON: No, that’s yours. I’m cooking some more to eat. Christine Avanti: Okay, Terry, you’ve got to try them. I eat them all the time, so tell us what you think. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Great. Christine Avanti: Yummy. They smell good. They do smell good. PAT ROBERTSON: What do you think? TERRY MEEUWSEN: Oh, my goodness. Christine Avanti: PC combo. TERRY MEEUWSEN: They are fabulous. Christine Avanti: Isn’t that great? TERRY MEEUWSEN: Oh, my goodness. Christine Avanti: And you’re stabilizing your blood sugar with these sweet, delicious pancakes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Oh, stabilize on, I say. You’re going to love those. You’re going to make these on Thanksgiving, or the day after Thanksgiving. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM PAT ROBERTSON: You’re filling your arteries with something. Christine Avanti: There’s less than ten grams of fat in two pancakes, 21 grams of protein. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Isn’t it good? It is excellent. PAT ROBERTSON: Delicious. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, if you would like more information, we have all the recipes we’ve talked about, including the others that are here with leftovers available on CBN.com. They’re also in Christine’s latest book called Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads. They eat pancakes. Hooray! You can pick up a copy of that anywhere nationwide. Thank you for being with us. Christine Avanti: Thank you. PAT ROBERTSON: You have ruined Terry for life. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Oh, glory. PAT ROBERTSON: We’ve got so much to keep her behaving herself. Christine Avanti: It’s not about deprivation. It’s about enjoying food, especially during the holidays. PAT ROBERTSON: Here. Call this a short stack. It’s yours. TERRY MEEUWSEN: I try. Christine Avanti: There you go. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, coming up, NFL legend Joe Gibbs has won more than 170 football games, but that first one might have been the toughest. Joe Gibbs: We start out O and five. I told everybody I felt like I was going to be the first guy to coach and never win a game. I was going to get fired before we won a game. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Find out how he became a three-time Super Bowl champion, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2: BEEN VERIFIED Man: Would you trust me? Man: You want me to take your word for it? Woman: This guy I met online, he could be anyone. How can I know who to trust? Announcer: Background checks are no longer just for corporations. Thanks to BeenVerified.com, you can run instant background checks on anyone, even yourself, right from your home computer. Woman: Dating online can be scary, but with Been Verified, I know exactly who I’m meeting before the first date. Man: My accountant, my mortgage broker and even my electrician. Now I can know I can trust them. Woman: No stranger comes around my growing family without a background check. Announcer: With Been Verified, you can search anyone’s background. What turns up just might surprise you. Find out before it’s too late. Man: With Been Verified, you can trust me. Woman: I make sure I know before I date. Man: Been Verified protects me and my family. Woman: Isn’t it better to know for sure? (Singing): “BeenVerified.com.” Announcer #2: It’s easy to keep you and your family safe. Visit BeenVerified.com/tv15 now for a free trial of unlimited background checks. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: It has long been thought that the Pilgrims’ celebration we call Thanksgiving was a religious event. The fact is, the gathering of Pilgrims and natives in 1621 was actually a harvest feast. It marked the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest. For three days, the Pilgrims and their guests feasted and competed in sports and marksmanship competitions. Music was also an important part of the celebration. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: And that’s the way it was on the first Thanksgiving. But it seems hard to imagine that there was a time when no one would think about football or would hire a famous coach named Joe Gibbs. The man who is now regarded as one of the finest football coaches couldn’t get a job heading up a team. So Joe started thinking he made a poor career decision, until he met a stranger at an airport. JOE GIBBS SHAWN BROWN: NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is one of the most successful men in sports. As the head coach for the Washington Redskins, he won three Super Bowls. And after retiring, he bought a NASCAR team, and they won three championships themselves. And though he’s been a sports icon for more than 20 years, Coach Gibbs says the most important lesson he learned came when he was a young boy. Joe Gibbs: The first big decision in my life, I can’t remember if it was in the third grade in school. I was being told that two amoeba happened to hit in a muddy puddle of water two billion years ago, and I was an accident. I was the result. I looked around. I wasn’t real smart, but I said, “I don’t like the sound of that.” My mother and grandmother had me in church. The pastor was telling me something totally different, that there was a loving God. He knit me together in my mother’s womb. He made me special, different. And He wanted to have a personal relationship with me. And I kind of weighed those two. And for me, to be truthful, it was an easy decision. And I went forward at church at nine years old. I said, “God, I know you’re there. I want to have a personal relationship with you. I want you to come into my life and forgive me of my sins.” And so that started my journey. SHAWN BROWN: As Joe grew up, sports became a big part of his life. (Interviewing): What was it about football that you liked? Joe Gibbs: It was all sports. I remember in North Carolina, I can still remember—and very few people have asked me that. I appreciate you asking that—I had a basketball net that my dad had put up outside. So I went out there and dribbled all day long. And I wanted to play basketball. Then I would go baseball, and then I would go to football. And I remember playing football in a plowed field. And so I grew up just going from one thing to the next wanting to play something. SHAWN BROWN (Reporting): Joe played football all the way through college at San Diego State University. Though he wasn’t quite good enough for the pros, he got a chance to stay in the game when he worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater. Joe Gibbs: I went in and volunteered with Don Coryell, who was a big part of my past, a great coach. He wound up coaching in pro ball, and a lot of people say he’s one of the greatest coaches ever. He was very good in high school, college and pro. Another guy on that staff was named John Madden. Some people probably know that name. And then I wound up starting my coaching career. There were only five of us on the coaching staff, and I wound up being the gopher for John Madden. That’s how I started coaching. I was just kind of, “What do you want me to do?” SHAWN BROWN: After two seasons, in San Diego, Joe spent the next few years as an assistant coach at some of the nation’s top college football programs. Soon, Gibbs was an assistant coach in the National Football League, thanks to his former boss, Don Coryell, who was coaching the St. Louis Cardinals at the time. And after five years with Cardinals, Joe went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And that’s where he developed the head coaching itch, but no one would hire him. Joe Gibbs: I had gotten all the way to 40 years old. I interviewed a couple times at college. I didn’t get a chance to get the job and I was turned down. I was discouraged. SHAWN BROWN: Joe began to worry about his future and was in desperate need of direction. Joe Gibbs: Through kind of a wild set of circumstances, I wound up sitting in an airport totally discouraged in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I reached over and there was a Bible there. Picked it up, turned to James, because I was talking about making a decision in my life. And a young guy about my age tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I claimed that chapter in my life six months ago," without me saying anything. He relayed a struggle in his career very much like mine. And he basically said, “I made a decision in my life. I’m going to turn this over to the Lord. I’m going to quit trying to do this myself.” SHAWN BROWN: And with that message, Joe was off to the San Diego Chargers where he reunited with Don Coryell. Gibbs helped devise one of the best offenses in history. The Chargers became the first team to average more than 400 yards per game. Soon, Joe Gibbs got the call he’d been waiting for his entire career. Joe Gibbs: Bobby Beathard called me. We were in the playoffs, lost the game. He called me and said, “Hey, Mr. Cooke wants to talk with you,” with the Redskins. And I was, of course, I was on a high after that point on. I really didn’t know, was he serious about it. Was I just one of the guys he was going to talk to? Got in a meeting, and then all of a sudden the conversation changed, where he said, “If you take this job,” and I kind of went, “Oh, my gosh! I may get a chance to coach the Redskins.” And it was one of the great nights. I didn’t sleep for two days after that. SHAWN BROWN: In 1981, Gibbs became the head coach of the Washington Redskins. As he looks back, he remembers his first season was a bit shaky. Joe Gibbs: I’d say a little shaky. We started out O and five. I told everybody, I felt like I was going to be the first guy to coach and never win a game, because I was going to get fired before we win a game. SHAWN BROWN: But the very next season, Coach Gibbs led the Redskins to their first Super Bowl victory, and the Gibbs dynasty was born. Over the next ten seasons, Gibbs won three more NFC championships and two more Super Bowls. And while success is great, he says it’s not what you take away that’s important, it’s what you leave behind. Joe Gibbs: The further you go in life, the more you realize what you’re going to leave this earth. It’s not going to be, “Yes, it was great. It was a great platform. It was great to win the Super Bowls,” but really and truly what you’re going to leave on this earth is the influence on others. SHAWN BROWN: Coach Gibbs remembers this lesson in his new book, Game Plan for Life: Your Personal Playbook for Success. These days you’ll find Joe on the speedway with Joe Gibbs Racing. But whether he’s on the football field, the raceway, or writing another book, you can be assured he’ll be sharing this message. Joe Gibbs: Life to me is a game. I came to the conclusion you and I are players. God is our coach, and we’re playing the biggest game of all. I’m trying to really say in this message, okay, we have a loving God that made us. Okay. And we need to get on His team. And it says in His word, He said this, not me, that there’s one way to Him and that’s through Jesus Christ. Ask Him to be your Lord and personal Savior. And if we don’t make that decision, then we’re making a decision to play against Him forever. What you find is that there are only two teams in the game of life. And if you’re on God’s team, the great thing, you can’t lose. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT MINISTERS PAT ROBERTSON: Amazing. If you’re on God’s team, you can’t lose. But some of you right now listening to me this Thanksgiving say, “Hey, I didn’t know Joe Gibbs was a committed Christian. I didn’t realize he had won several Super Bowls. I didn’t realize what a great team he had built up in the Redskins. I didn’t realize some of these things.” But at the heart of it was his decision to follow Jesus Christ. But that’s just one of many. There are noted athletes, noted football players, noted baseball players, noted basketball players, noted golfers who have accepted Jesus as Savior. And their testimony rings true, because what they say is something that you need to understand. The most important thing in life is not some game, how far you can hit a little white ball, how far you can toss a bag of air wrapped inside of some skin, how far you can throw it or how accurately, how fast you can throw a white ball and how far you can hit it with a stick. That’s not where life is. It’s where the crowds today will cheer you, but what’s life? “This is eternal life,” Jesus said, “that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent.” If you and I are not destined to go to be with Him forever, we’ve missed it. And He holds out to you the promise that you can spend eternity with Him. And it’s more important than all the money you can make, all the success in the stock market, all the political success, whatever it is you’re striving to do. There is nothing more important than getting to know Jesus. He says, “I stand at the door and knock. If anybody will hear My voice and open the door, I’ll come in to him and I’ll sup with him and he with Me.” You can have fellowship with the God who created the universe. And He will come and live in your heart. That’s what He says. That’s what the Bible tells us. If we’ll open our hearts to Him, let Him come in, and then the miracle begins. You cannot believe what He will do in your life. So if you just bow your head, I want you to pray this prayer with me and invite Jesus Christ to come into your life. He’ll do it if you just pray and just ask Him and you just believe. Pray with me right now. Don’t be afraid. Pray these words. “Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s right. Pray with me. “Lord Jesus Christ, I know that you came to earth, that you are the Son of God. And I know that you lived like no person has ever lived before. But Jesus, I know that you died that I might live. And so right now, Lord, I believe that you died for me. And I believe that you rose again that I might live. And so, Lord, right now, come into my heart. Live your life in me. And I will live for you, and I will serve you all the days of my life. Thank you, Jesus, that you’ve heard my prayer. And thank you that you’ve come into my heart.” Now, for those who prayed with me just then, I want to give you something. It’s a little packet. It’s called “A New Day.” It has in here an audio CD that will have 73 minutes of teaching that will bless you. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We also have a little book that has the scriptures that will teach you what you need to do next. I’ll give this to you free if you just call us: 1-800-759-0700. And say, “I prayed with Pat. I gave my heart to Jesus Christ.” GRAPHIC: OUR GIFT TO YOU 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM And a new day has begun for you: 1-800-759-0700. It’s a toll-free call. On this Thanksgiving, pick up the phone and call in. Terry. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, up next, it’s a holiday tradition celebrated for more than 1,000 years. We’ll show you why many Christians celebrate Advent and how you can, too, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3: HEAVENLY COMEDY Man: I know that God has got a sense of humor, okay? Man (Singing): “Kum bah ya, my Lord, what’s that mean?” Man: Seventy-five percent of the population believe in Heaven. About the same amount of people believe they’re going there. Announcer: Get ready to life. Time Life brings you the very best in Christian comedy with the Heavenly Comedy Jam. We’ve hand selected the most hilarious jokes from the funniest and cleanest comics in the country. Man: Teenagers are God’s revenge on mankind. Announcer: They’re talking about family . . . . Man: Nowhere in the Bible does it mention how old the devil was when he rejected God’s authority. My guess is it would be 15. Announcer: . . . . faith . . . . Man: You think maybe little Isaac needed some therapy after that sacrifice on the mountain episode? Announcer: . . . . and finding the humor in everyday life. Man: My wife plays a little game with me every morning. It’s called “Guess What Mood I’m In Today?” I have never won that game. Announcer: You get hours of good clean fun for the whole family. Man: An exercise video you got from the Christian bookstore. Dummy: That’s right. Man: What’s it called? Dummy: It’s called “But For the Grace of God.” Announcer: Order now. We’ll send you two hilarious DVDs of Heavenly Comedy for only 29.99. Man: Come on. That’s good! Announcer: But wait. Call in the next ten minutes with your credit card order and save ten dollars. You’ll get over two hours of nonstop laughter for only 19.99. Plus, each DVD features exclusive bonus material, including outtakes, sketches and candid interviews. Man: How has your faith affected your comedy? Man: The anger and the rage and the cynicism is gone. Announcer: Heavenly Comedy Jam is not available in stores. Only Time Life can bring you this comedy club tested, pastor approved, one of a kind collection. Man: I do believe in God. Announcer: So get both jam packed DVDs of Heavenly Comedy for just 19.99. Man: Well, God, that’s my life. How did I do? Announcer: Order now. Announcer #2: Call 1-800-298-3014 to order Heavenly Comedy Jam on two DVDs for just 19.99 plus shipping and handling when you call in the next ten minutes with your credit card. Call now or order online at TimeLife.com/Heavenly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ADVENT TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, at this chaotic time of the year, we’re all wanting to make Christmas meaningful. And joining us today to tell us how to do that is Lisa Robertson, Pat Robertson’s daughter-in-law. And Lisa, a lot of people I think go out and look for something. They might find this kind of a fun open up a window every day and find a little toy or a piece of chocolate. But the truth of the matter is Advent really is a time long celebration that’s been around for a long time. And you’ve put together a great book that tells us about the history of it and how to use it in our own families. Tell me a little bit about how Advent became important to you. Lisa Robertson: I think I started out probably with Advent calendars when I was a little girl. And I was always excited, and I think many children are, to count off the days before Christmas. And in our church and in my home we did have an Advent wreath. And my mother actually began the tradition for me where we would light one candle for one week and we would anticipate the coming of Jesus, the birth of Christ, week by week. And we would celebrate by daily lighting a candle, and the next week we would be lighting two candles. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And now how do you celebrate in your family today? Lisa Robertson: What we do, and what we’ve done for many, many years, is our church has a dinner on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. And we all bring a bucket of greens to the church, and the church provides the Advent forms. And we make an Advent wreath together as a church, and every family makes their own. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Each family makes their own. You know what I love about this? This bucket, this is all from Lisa’s yard. You probably haven’t even thought about what’s great in your yard that could be used to create this beautiful wreath. Now, in the wreath, I know people see, if you’ve not done Advent in your home, you probably see these candles every Christmas season and wonder, “Now, what do people do with those?” Explain the colors of the candles and why you’re using them. Lisa Robertson: Well, all of this to celebrate Advent has a lot of symbolism in it. And the candles, you’ll have three purple candles, and you’ll have one pink candle and then a white candle. And we will add each one of the purple candles. The first week it represents the royalty of Christ. And Advent is the celebration of Christ coming the first time in the birth of Christ. And then the second celebration is the anticipation of Jesus when He will return as the King of kings and Lord of lords. And then the pink candle is the color of joy and just the joy we have in Christ. It’s also the color of the Rose of Sharon. And I was watching a sunset this summer and really wondering is purple really the color before the dawn and is pink really the color of the sunrise. And the sky did just what it was supposed to do. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Imagine that. Lisa Robertson: And it validated all of this Advent teaching. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So you actually go purple, purple, purple, pink, and then you have this white candle in the center. And tell me about that. Lisa Robertson: The white candle we light on Christmas Eve, and that’s the Christ candle. And it’s the color of purity, which is the purity of Christ. On the first week of Advent, every night we would celebrate or sometimes we would celebrate for breakfast, whenever we could gather the family together. And every day for that week we would light one candle and read the devotional that would talk about the prophecies of Christ. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So this candle would be lit every day for a week. Lisa Robertson: Every day for a week. TERRY MEEUWSEN: The second week, you would relight this one and add this one to it. Lisa Robertson: Right. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And then the pink one would be added to these two the third week? Lisa Robertson: On the third week. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Okay. Tell me about topics that you’ve put in this book, because for somebody who’s never done Advent before, you’ve really helped us with all of this. Lisa Robertson: Well, the first topic is how to make a wreath. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Start at the beginning. Lisa Robertson: We have pictures of just what some of the things you might need are. The important thing is that the green in the Advent wreath symbolizes eternal life. And the wreath being round is a symbol of God’s love that just has no end. It has no beginning and no end. And so even the wreath itself and the red and green colors are symbolic in the Advent celebration. TERRY MEEUWSEN: What would you say is the key spiritual component of all of this for you? You’ve been doing this for years, and I know this is a significant part of your family’s holiday. Lisa Robertson: It is. And I would say the most important part for me is that we prepare for Christmas. And I am one that starts shopping for Christmas probably December 27th the year before. I get out and hit the sales. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Girl, I’m so jealous. Lisa Robertson: I spend all this time just preparing Christmas. But the most important preparation is that my heart is prepared to think about Jesus, to know the meaning of Christmas, and to share that with my family and the people around me. TERRY MEEUWSEN: I don’t think there’s a one of you who hasn’t had one Christmas in your life where you’ve shopped and shopped and shopped, decorated and decorated your house, come to Christmas Day and thought, “Wow. Where’s Christmas?” And this is such a wonderful opportunity not to miss what Christmas is about and to share that with your family as well. Lisa Robertson: And one of the things I think a lot about is Christmas, the focus has become gift giving and gift receiving. And I think when our children are prepared, what we really think about is the gift that we have received in the gift of Christ, that that’s the greatest gift that we have received from God, His great gift of love. But it’s also the greatest gift that we can share with the people that we love. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And to have a meaningful Christmas, the time to begin to plan that is now. And that’s why we want to let you know that Lisa’s book that she’s put together for all of us, called, simply, Advent, is available at CBN.com. And you can have fun doing this all together as a family, have meaningful moments day to day. And at the same time, in the middle of the hubbub, it’ll make Christmas very, very real to you in a way that matters. Thank you so much for sharing this. This is so pretty. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4: BIG SPOT Announcer: Everyone’s got an opinion. Why not get paid for yours? Visit BigSpot.com and become an online survey taker. As an online survey taker, you’ll earn cash and rewards for sharing your opinions on the products and services you use every day. And there are never any fees to pay. What’s the catch? There isn’t one. Market research companies value your input and pay out millions of dollars each year to survey takers. Why not get your share? Announcer #2: Visit BigSpot.com/tv41 and start earning cash and rewards for your opinions. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: Thanksgiving. I hope you’ve had a bountiful Thanksgiving, and you’re having one or have had one. But this Thanksgiving many down-on-their luck families will get assistance from local food pantries. There they will meet people like Mike and Carrie Griegs. The Griegses enjoy helping others, because not long ago they themselves were the ones in need. MICHAEL AND CARRIE GRIEGS KEN HULME: For 15 years, Mike Griegs wrote auto loans for major domestic car dealers. This past year, he was unemployed. Mike Griegs: With the economy starting to go downhill, the lenders losing money and the bailouts and stuff that they needed, it obviously started to take a toll on my job. And eventually, it dwindled down to where my position was phased out all together. KEN HULME: When things got tight, Carrie says they didn’t know what to do. Carrie Griegs: “Oh, we need diapers. Let’s go to Wal-Mart, just go to the store and get it.” And we’re like, “Yes, the diapers are still at Wal-Mart, but they want money for those diapers.” But just basics like that, where you almost hate to even change your baby’s diaper, because you don’t know where the next diaper is coming from. KEN HULME: So Carrie sent the kids to her mom’s house, but it wasn’t simply so they could see grandma. Carrie Griegs: They’re used to going over to Mamaw’s house and picking through her cupboards to see what she doesn’t want instead of going to the grocery store. KEN HULME: But Grandma could only help so much. So the Griegses turned to a nearby food pantry called The Refuge, which gets a lot of its food and supplies from Operation Blessing. Mike Griegs: The Refuge and Operation Blessing was a big help. Back during the winter when it got really tough and we were struggling just to pay the bills here, food was hard to come by. And we were able to go into The Refuge and Operation Blessing and get some food and get some extra clothing. Carrie Griegs: They have diapers. Everything they helped out with. KEN HULME: The Griegses' story does have a happy ending. Mike is back to work, and the couple is actually giving back to others in need. Carrie Griegs: It was so wonderful to give some of that back, because we don’t know who is out there in the same situation that we were just in. It really meant so much to us, and that we were able to give back and do that. And I can’t wait until we can do it again. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PAT ROBERTSON: It’s such a joy to know that we can help people. And there are people who are suffering and hurting. And it’s not just Thanksgiving. It’s not just Christmas. It’s something that we can do all year round. And we, of course, at Operation Blessing are out helping people. The plan for Operation Blessing in this year, as I understand it, is to help 20 million children get free from intestinal parasites, 20 million. And we want to reach out to those who are suffering. And if you want to participate, you can just give us a call and say, ‘You can count on me to be a member of The 700 Club or to give a special gift to Operation Blessing.” GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM And for those who join our 700 Club, we’ve got the book that I wrote is now on audio. It’s an audio tape of highlights of that book. People seem to like it. TERRY MEEUWSEN: They really do. I want to tell you, this is somebody named, I think you say Mai as her name. She’s from Salem, Oregon, and she said, “It’s excellent, fantastic and blessed by God. I’d like to order more copies of it to give to my family. May Pat Robertson be blessed by the Lord a hundredfold.” She loved it. PAT ROBERTSON: May God bless you. I receive that blessing. I need it. We’ll give this CD to those who join The 700 Club, so please call in. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BRING IT ON TERRY MEEUWSEN: We have a just a couple minutes left. Do you want to do some questions? PAT ROBERTSON: I guess. It’s one way to ruin Thanksgiving, but go ahead. TERRY MEEUWSEN: These are about Thanksgiving, so