The tree will be lit during a live TV broadcast on Dec. 4, featuring 50,000 multi-colored lights with a Swarovski star on top and remain on display until mid-January.

The post Crowds flock to tiny Mass. town to send off Rockefeller Christmas tree appeared first on Boston.com.

The court ultimately ruled Friday that an engagement ring must be returned to the person who purchased it.

The post $70,000 engagement ring must be returned after canceled wedding appeared first on Boston.com.

If you've been let go from your organization, is it appropriate to try to maintain the internal and external professional relationships you've made during your time there? What implicit and explicit rules exist around contacting former clients and colleagues? Elaine Varelas explores the many aspects of this situation.

The post Maintaining professional relationships after being let go from a company—Elaine Varelas advises on an appropriate course of action appeared first on Boston.com.

Being a primary caregiver while working full time is a challenge in itself and even more so during the pandemic. Elaine Varelas guides on how to best keep your family members safe while maintaining your work responsibilities.

The post As both a full-time employee and a primary caregiver to one of my family members, I am worried about potentially exposing my family to COVID. Is there anything I can do? Elaine Varelas guides appeared first on Boston.com.

A cooling job market is impacting millions of workers nationwide.

The post Were you laid off this year? Tell us your story. appeared first on Boston.com.

A new bill would require many Massachusetts employers to include a wage or salary range on job postings.

The post Tell us: Should employers have to disclose salaries? appeared first on Boston.com.

When you hear the name of Johann Pachelbel it’s often hard to get past the immense success of his Canon in D major and try ... Read more

The post The Best of Johann Pachelbel (6 Beautiful Works by Johann Pachelbel) appeared first on CMUSE.

The sale ends on Thursday.

The post Score $69 one-way flights during Southwest’s winter travel sale appeared first on Boston.com.

His publicist says he died Sunday night at his home in Los Angeles.

The post Quincy Jones, music titan who worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, dies at 91 appeared first on Boston.com.

The couple spoke about experiencing a miscarriage more than a year ago. They announced their engagement in 2022.

The post Megan Fox is expecting a baby with Machine Gun Kelly appeared first on Boston.com.

The Mass. Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments in a lawsuit involving the ownership of a $70,000 engagement ring.

The post Tell us: Who owns the engagement ring after a breakup? appeared first on Boston.com.

How do you approach politics on dating apps? Share your experience with us.

The post Tell us: How has the 2024 election season impacted your dating life? appeared first on Boston.com.

For some people, running a marathon changes everything — including how you are as a partner.

The post How did a marathon change your romantic relationship? appeared first on Boston.com.

Whether it’s a classic flick or a romance arc in a new thriller, love seems pretty easy on screen.

The post How do romance movies and books affect your relationships? appeared first on Boston.com.

"To me, the bigger thing is just where the Bears are."

The post Bill Belichick focuses more on Bears’ dysfunction than Patriots’ strides after win in Chicago appeared first on Boston.com.

The former Patriots QB cited McDaniels's halftime adjustments as a major reason for the team's most recent Super Bowl title.

The post Brian Hoyer: Josh McDaniels’s quick thinking won Super Bowl LIII for the Patriots appeared first on Boston.com.

"He's the one who took my game to a whole new level," Gronkowski said of Belichick, adding that he thinks his former coach will be "unbelievable" as a television analyst.

The post Rob Gronkowski discussed why ending up with Bill Belichick, Patriots was ‘perfect fit’ appeared first on Boston.com.

“Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jules” premiered on Tuesday.

The post Former Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman announce new podcast appeared first on Boston.com.

"I had to go down with the ship, buddy."

The post Julian Edelman explains why he didn’t join Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski on Buccaneers  appeared first on Boston.com.

Two journalists set off on a quest to hand deliver a letter to a grandmother in Puerto Rico from her family on the mainland of the United States.

Also: we learn why Che Guevara is being honoured on a postage stamp in Ireland; we admire the art of Martin Ramirez which has been featured on postage stamps in the US; plus we read one of the most timeless job application letters in history, sent by a copywriter, Robert Pirosh, to studio directors in Hollywood, in 1934.

(Image: Janet Franceschini Colon (left), Jennifer Santos Franceschini (middle), Jenelyn Santos (right) and Jennifer's two daughters are pictured. Credit: PRI’s The World)

Every Day Is Extra is the title of a new memoir by former US senator and secretary of state John Kerry. He chronicles his time serving in Vietnam, five terms in the Senate, his presidential run, and his tenure as secretary of state. He records a decades long pursuit of multilateral diplomacy and civil political discourse. John Kerry talks to Marco about the state of US politics in 2018.

Also: We visit a Persian bookstore in Los Angeles that sells banned Iranian books; Patrick Winn takes us on a ride through Southeast Asia’s drug-fuelled underworld; In her new memoir, Jean Guerrero takes readers on a cross border journey; and, a library in Canada offers a dial-in story reading service in 16 languages.

(Former US secretary of state John Kerry in the Boston Calling studio at WGBH. Credit: Steven Davy/The World)

On the night of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968, a photographer caught an image of the presidential candidate just after he was shot. In it, a young hotel worker named Juan Romero cradles Kennedy's head, looking up, stunned. At the time, Romero was just 17-years old. That night, that photo, and everything that followed changed his life forever.

Also: In Los Angeles, gentrification is affecting immigrant communities as once gritty downtown neighbourhoods become trendy places to live Activist and lawyer Lizbeth Mateo becomes the first unauthorised immigrant named to a statewide post in California; In Mexico City we visit a neighbourhood called ‘Little LA’; Finally, we take a tour through a score of Los Angeles’ of global ice cream shops.

(Senator Robert F. Kennedy stands among supporters in the main ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel, just after claiming victory in California's presidential primary. The Senator was shot moments later as he left the ballroom. Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)

Immigrants and refugees from Syria and Iraq lead tours at Philadelphia’s Penn Museum. They help visitors understand where the museum’s artefacts come from and add historical context to the objects. Also, “voluntourism” is a growing part of the travel industry, but critics say there’s sometimes a human cost for volunteer’s good deeds; we meet Terry Tickhill Terrell, who in 1969 became one of the first women to join a US scientific expedition to Antarctica; a long, lost manuscript and its connection to Christopher Columbus; and a restaurant in Casablanca inspired by the classic Hollywood film.

(Image: Abdulhadi Al-Karfawi, a Global Guide at the Penn Museum, talks about an ornate headdress, which was found with the body of Queen Puabi in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, on a Sunday afternoon tour of the Middle East Galleries in 2018. Photo by Raffi Berberian, Penn Museum.)

As the 2020 presidential campaign in America heats up, evangelical Christians will be getting more and more attention in the US news media. They always do during election season as they have long been seen as reliable Republican voters. But people who identify as evangelical or born-again Christians are more than just a voting bloc. Evangelicals make up a huge swath of the US population and they are rapidly becoming more diverse than ever before.

(Jason Petty is shown on stage performing under his spoken word artist and rapper name, Propaganda. Credit: Matthew Bell/The World)

"I promise you, this is not the end," "The Daily Show" host said late Tuesday night.

The post Here was Jon Stewart’s election night takeaway appeared first on Boston.com.

"Let's be honest, it was a terrible night," Kimmel said.

The post Jimmy Kimmel chokes up during monologue on Trump’s win appeared first on Boston.com.

At her home in Nantucket, the bestselling author keeps her collection personal, including where she puts her books: “Nobody else has to understand it.”

The post For ‘Perfect Couple’ author Elin Hilderbrand, book organization is optional appeared first on Boston.com.

Plus: A new romance-only bookstore in Cambridge, a dive into SNL history, and the International Antiquarian Book Fair.

The post 8 books to soothe your Election Day jitters appeared first on Boston.com.

Help us update our list of reader-recommended bookstores around Greater Boston.

The post Tell us: What is your favorite independent bookstore in Greater Boston? appeared first on Boston.com.

Some election lawyers suggested that Musk is inching closer to the legal line.

The post Elon Musk’s $1 million offer raises new legal questions appeared first on Boston.com.

The world’s richest man gave his money and time in campaigning for the president-elect and now is putting in his requests for a friendlier regulatory environment.

The post Elon Musk helped elect Trump. What does he expect in return? appeared first on Boston.com.

It is "one of the most picture-perfect places to go for Christmas."

The post One of the best Christmas getaways on the planet is in Vermont, according to Travel + Leisure appeared first on Boston.com.

Plus: Holidays at the Newport Mansions, best places to visit in December, and the final Memorial Drive Recreation Sunday of the year.

The post The North End was named a hot spot for ‘authentic’ travel. Do you agree? appeared first on Boston.com.

Residents say rallying around local issues helps them find common ground.

The post This is what it’s like in the Mass. towns with the closest presidential election results appeared first on Boston.com.

The woman said a group of young men insulted her appearance, gloated about Trump's victory, and prevented her from driving away.

The post Woburn woman surrounded and harassed in McDonald’s parking lot by Trump supporters, she tells police appeared first on Boston.com.

The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin.

The post Trump says Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy will form outside group to advise White House on government efficiency appeared first on Boston.com.

Stefanik, 40, who serves as House Republican Conference Chair, has long been one of Trump's most loyal allies in the House, and was among those discussed as a potential vice presidential choice.

The post Trump chooses New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as ambassador to United Nations appeared first on Boston.com.

Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term and has been a central figure in many of his policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018.

The post Trump names former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA, adviser Stephen Miller to be deputy chief of policy appeared first on Boston.com.

“Either you stand with the powerful oligarchy of our country, or you stand with the working class. You can’t represent both.”

The post Bernie Sanders has some scathing advice for Democrats after the 2024 election appeared first on Boston.com.

The site has a similar address to one that promotes a film adaptation of the hit musical. The toymaker apologized for the “unfortunate error.”

The post Mattel mistakenly lists porn site on packaging for ‘Wicked’ dolls appeared first on Boston.com.

New York Judge Juan M. Merchan had been set to rule Tuesday on an earlier request to throw out Trump's conviction because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this summer on presidential immunity.

The post Judge delays ruling on whether to scrap Trump’s conviction in hush money case appeared first on Boston.com.

As homeland security secretary, Noem would lead a sprawling federal bureaucracy with a $60 billion budget and more than 230,000 employees.

The post Trump picks Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as homeland security secretary appeared first on Boston.com.

Back in 2011, Belgian harpist Anneleen Lenaerts, now a soloist at the Vienna Philharmonic, recorded an album containing harp arrangements of Chopin’s and Liszt’s most ... Read more

The post 3 Questions with Anneleen Lenaerts, Principal Harpist of the Vienna Philharmonic appeared first on CMUSE.

Warning, bubble bursting, thoroughly raw post commencing now...read no further if you by some chance hold us Farrens in some undeserved place of sainthood. (Which if you do, this should help adjust that a bit).

My truly amazing daughter Madison and I got into a spectacular fight this last Saturday. And If you know the Farrens at all, you know that we are a very passionate clan...we love big, and we fight big. And to be fair, this test of wills did not ensue over some small frivolous matter. No, this “ruin a whole day miserable” episode was wrapped around the intricacies and responsibilities of adulthood, or more to my very loudly made point, the lack thereof. 

The reality is I could not be more proud of Madison, who is 21 this July, and lives almost an hour away about to start her Senior year of college. She's a bonafide rockstar in my book, but even still, some things just need to be said right?!

Of course as with any epic fight, it escalated quickly, and lasted longer than it should have. I was right, (yep, still sticking to my guns on that) but my delivery was less than desirable. There may or may not have been some slamming of fist on tables, and through a litany of now regretted words I finally had the last word…but at a heavy emotional cost to us both.

But here is the real kicker, of all the weekends for this to happen, it just so happens that this was the weekend Madison and I were scheduled to lead worship together the following Sunday morning...oh the maddening mystery of Divine timing. 

We did not speak the rest of the day after this episode, and due to a party we were both attending that evening she ended up spending the night and riding with me to church. It was a somber start of a morning to say the least. 

As we were walking across the parking lot into the church, I asked Madison why we would still show up to lead worship even after having such a crappy weekend, and she replied quickly, "Because He is still worthy of our worship". Well said daughter, well said.

But as we continued into the building, her response got me thinking about something in a completely different way. Even after all my years of leading worship, knowing full well that it has nothing to do with my worth or perfection, I will admit to still wrestling the question of hypocrisy every time I step onto the stage in a broken or messy state of being. 

But it's not just a worship pastor problem. I would make a very unscientific yet experienced observation that roughly half of all attendees walk into church on any given Sunday feeling more or less hypocritical. But prompted by the Holy Spirit, just before the second service started I actually read for maybe the first time the actual Webster's definition of a hypocrite. Here goes...Hypocrite: "a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs". And just like that, for the first time I truly got it. 

Week after week I stand and declare that God is great and worthy of all of my adoration and praise. Sunday after Sunday, I passionately exhort almost 600 other people to join me in that refrain. And showing up and continuing to sing about His greatness even after a really rough weekend is the one thing keeping me from being a hypocrite...because for me to keep silent or stay away would most certainly classify me by the definition of "a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs". If He was worthy of praise last Sunday, He's still worthy of it this Sunday, in spite of me. His love and affection for me has never wavered, and so neither should my response to it. My belief in who He is remains the same. Declaring the greatness of our God in our times of greatest brokenness and mess does not make us hypocrites...it makes us believers!

Harsh as it may sound, for the first time ever I now see that there are way more hypocrites at home on Sunday than are sitting in the pews. And I'd rather stand with my hands raised next to messy, broken, yet hope filled people, than become a hypocrite. I refuse to let the enemy blackmail me with his lies and accusations...if we have placed our belief in the goodness and kindness of the one true God, let's stop behaving in a way that disagrees with that belief.

Show up. And not just on Sunday, but every day. Make the enemy eat his words. Take back your God given righteousness. Stand on your brokenness and lift an even louder praise...no longer bridled by guilt or shame...we are hypocrites no more!

To say that Michael Farren is one of today’s top songwriters is a bit of an understatement. Besides penning “Let It Rain” which has sold a mere 2 million copies, been translated into multiple languages, and is impacting worshipers across the globe, Michael has written and is writing many of today's top songs for Christian Artists and churches. As a signed staff writer for Integrity Music he often writes and delivers as many as 100 songs a year. So how does he keep inspiration fresh? Here are some things I’ve observed: 

1. Gear is Ready to Go: Just like most of us Michael is always busy with something. Business, Church, Family, and just…life has its demands but he is always ready to record the moment inspiration does strike. Guitars are set out, keyboards are on, and the microphones are hot, just yearning for him to push the big red record button. Which he does, even if he only has 5 minutes before his next meeting.

2. Sounds that Inspire: The right sound can make all the difference. It can bend your ear towards a melody or strike your imagination. When he finds those products that do that, he buys them. Two of them are “The Giant” plugin by Native Instruments and a logic/mainstage instrument preset from Abel Mendoza’s company ‘That Worship Sound’.

3. Instruments That Have Songs In Them: How do you buy a guitar as a songwriter?  It’s not the best one or the most expensive. But You pick the one that has the most songs in it. Sounds dumb but it’s true. You play a bunch of them and see which one makes you want to sing a new song and which ones make you want to play an old tune. Then purchase accordingly.

4. Alternative Instruments That Play the Same as a Guitar: Don’t play the banjo or the Mandolin? No problem. As mentioned before the right sound bends your creativity in new directions but sometimes we are hampered by our playing abilities. A few easy solutions are two instruments that Michael keeps close by. The first is a Ganjo – a banjo that has the neck of a guitar. The second is a ‘Nashville Strung’ guitar – accomplished by taking a pack of 12 string guitar strings and then only using the higher string for each note. (hint: use the other strings for your regular guitar)

5. Listen to People's Prayers: If worship songs are supposed to communicate a person's heart to God, then it stands to reason we should be listening to more than just our own heart. When people pray, add your agreement and pay attention.

I’m sure I’ll have more nuggets of wisdom to share as I spend more time around the All About Worship offices and studio. Will pass them along as we go.

Do you ever have those moments when God’s Word being alive and active gets super real? As spiritual leaders in our different capacities, we’ve all talked about it and referred to that sweet verse in Hebrews multiple times, but nothing beats those experiences when it becomes alive and active to us personally. Something else I’ve learned through these encounters is that it’s not uncommon for them to be meant for someone else besides you. So I’d love to tell you about one of those moments that happened to me. I’m confident that the message was blatantly meant for me, but maybe it’ll be an encouragement to someone else out there.

There I was, perusing 2 Corinthians 5. I was actually focusing initially on the piece about being a new creation, but in the midst of the passage, a phrase leapt off the page and hit me over the head with a supernatural force.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

FOR. THE. LOVE. OF. CHRIST. CONTROLS. US.

Other translations use words like compels, rules, and puts us into action. What does it mean to live a life compelled by the love of Christ? The conviction settled in deep that it should look much different than my life does now. I like to think that overall, I’m a fairly generous, kind, loyal, and patient person. But then I get woken up by the sound of my children fighting, or get stuck behind that annoying driver who clearly has no clue where they’re going, and I realize quickly that there are short limits to that generosity, kindness, loyalty, and patience. Why? Why can’t I seem to get this down? Then it hit me that instead of being compelled or controlled by Christ’s love, I’m allowing myself to be compelled by my own mood and feelings. And let’s face it, when those take over, who knows what might happen?

What if, though, for one day I chose to see everything and everyone through the lens of Christ’s love? What would be different? Well for starters . . . the way that I interact with my 3 sons. Imagine the changes that would take place in my home if I dealt out more gentleness. Please tell me I’m not alone in this struggle. What about forgiveness? We are so quick to attach conditions on our willingness to forgive someone. Yet Jesus forgave with no strings attached. Marriages . . . Someone once set the challenge before my husband and I to approach each day with the mindset of out-serving one another. What if that became the norm in Christian marriages and homes? Then there’s the Church! Some of the hardest people to love walk through the doors of our churches on a weekly basis. Some of them may even be serving within our different worship ministries. What would change within our ministries if we figured out how to love each individual, compelled by Christ himself?

For those of us lucky enough to grow up in the 90’s, you didn’t have to look far to find someone wearing a W.W.J.D. bracelet. What Would Jesus Do? It sounds like such a simple question. But at its core, it holds the power of life and death when it comes to our relationship to those around us. Taking that pause to consider Christ’s perspective changes a lot of things.

Something else to consider . . . living a life compelled and controlled by the love of Jesus offers us a whole new level of freedom. When we encounter the situations or people that normally drive us to those places we don’t like to go, there’s no longer any confusion about how we are to respond. Jesus will always love. He will always forgive. He will always deal in patience. He will always give of himself without complaining. He will always put others first. That seems to make the decision making process a lot easier, doesn’t it? If only that translated to our everyday lives as easily.

So how do we do it? How do we approach our days completely ruled by Christ’s love? I’m inclined to think that the rest of Paul’s thought in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 helps answer that question. The solution for us is found smack dab in the middle of the gospel. When we remind ourselves regularly of the cross, and the redemptive work that was completed there, adjusting our behavior and choices seems to come a little more naturally. Keeping the cross and Christ’s love ever before us, may we see those around us the same way He did, and may we let that same love dictate our every move. That, my friends, has the power to bring a little Heaven to earth!

Michael King and Michael Farren continue the discussion on the main focus areas for All About Worship - Power of His Presence, Power of His People, and the Power of a Sound.  King catches up with Farren in the middle of the KINGDOM SONGS BOOT CAMP and there are some amazing takeaways.

“Stop leading songs and start pastoring people” - Michael Farren.

“What is the Sound the of Heaven? Its the people of God. Us. It is our calling, in whatever arena, to be His light, His hands and feet to a lost world. These songs are a declaration of the desire to walk in the identity of Christ and be the audible and visible Sound of Heaven.” 

-- Brad + Rebekah

This is the mission statement from the newest album released by our friends, Brad & Rebekah Bichsel!!  We had the chance to sit down and talk with this awesome couple, who both lead worship together, and have such a great heart for the Church.  Take a moment and listen in!  Brad & Rebekah share some personal things that they are walking through, and how this album is really a declaration of faith. And speaking of that album, check it out:

Also, take some time and head over to their website at Brad + Rebekah Music.  Make sure to check out the "About" section and read up on their story.  There's even some images and stories behind a few of the songs on this album - many times we write songs out of real experiences.  This album, and their stories, are no exception, and you'll be impacted by it.  If you're looking to get the album ( YOU SHOULD! ), there's a few ways to do that:

• Buy it on iTunes
• Listen on Apple Music
• Listen on Spotify
• Download on Amazon Music
• Download on Google Play

There's plenty of options there for you, there's no excuse!  Last but not least, Brad + Rebekah have even released multi tracks, chord charts & videos along with everything.  You can find that under the "Music" section of their website here.  We pray that these songs would minister powerfully both to you & to your church! 

We are excited for you to meet our guests on the AAW podcast, Clinton Allen & Ryan Williams from River Valley Worship! They both lead worship at their church in Minneapolis, MN.  

In today’s interview, we’re talking with Ryan & Clinton specifically about their story as worship leaders and as songwriters. They talk to us about their current roles in their local church as worship leaders and leading teams. They also have some great insights about how they approach writing new songs for their church - considering the people that will be singing those songs and even their senior pastor - It starts with relationship!  They share experiences from leading REAL people in REAL ministry week to week, so we really believe this will speak to many of you listening that are also leading worship week in & week out.  You have authority as a pastoral musician. 

Last but certainly not least - you can find out more about River Valley Worship's brand new album!  Head on over to rivervalleyworship.org and find ways to listen below:

• Buy it on iTunes
• Listen on Apple Music
• Listen on Spotify
• Download on Amazon Music
• Download on Google Play
• Watch on YouTube

There's plenty of options there for you, there's no excuse!  Be blessed, and be sure to check out their new album —- “MILLION LIFETIMES”!