By Christy Barritt

Blind Dog Brightens Days for Many

A golden retriever named Smiley is cheering up residents in the town of Stouffville, Canada. Smiley was born without eyes, but now he spends hours each day visiting retirement home patients, comforting nursing home patients, and meeting special needs kids.

When he was less than 2 years old, Smiley was rescued from a puppy mill by Joanne George. He’d lived in deplorable conditions there, and George said it took a long time before he became a confident and happy dog. George said watching Smiley interact with crowds made her realize that her dog was meant for more. 

“People were so drawn to him, so inspired by him,” George said to CBS News. “I realized this dog has to be a therapy dog—I have to share him.”

George told the story of how one man named Teddy, whom nursing home staff had never seen smile, grinned for the first time after meeting Smiley. Now whenever Smiley visits that nursing home, Teddy is the first one Smiley greets.

Bible Doesn’t Influence Immigration Views

A new poll by LifeWay Research shows that 9 out of 10 evangelicals say Scripture has no impact on their views about immigration reform. Evangelicals’ views on immigration reform were found to be more likely influenced by their relationship with immigrants, friends and family, and the media than the Bible. 

The results showed 61 percent of evangelicals favor immigration reform that will provide a path toward citizenship for undocumented immigrants, 86 percent said they favor greater border security, and 88 percent said immigration reform should uphold “the rule of law.”

More evangelicals are, however, interested in learning what the Bible has to say about immigration—68 percent said their churches and ministers have never preached about the importance of reaching out to immigrants, and the same number said they would “value” hearing sermons on biblical views on the subject.

What Are Americans Searching for Online?

A new study unveiled what Americans are searching for on Google. Business Insider looked at Google Trend data from 2014 to determine what the 12 most popular searches were.

Topping the list was Facebook, followed by Google. Coming in third was a search for “You,” which study experts feel is the result of an autocomplete search for YouTube, which came in fourth. Following at number five was Craigslist then “porn” and “weather conditions.” At number eight was Yahoo and “news” came in ninth. Amazon and “sex” tied for tenth, and the last most popular search item was “games.”

Ebola and Ferguson were also popular search terms.

Military Chaplain Battling to Keep Job

A Navy chaplain is fighting to keep his job after expressing biblical views while working. Lt. Cmdr. Wes Modder is under fire after a few sailors complained that they disagreed with the viewpoints he expressed during counseling sessions.

Modder, who was serving in Goose Creek, South Carolina, is accused of speaking out against homosexuality and premarital sex. As a result of the sailors’ claims, Modder received a “detachment for cause” letter that claimed he wasn’t able to function in the diverse and pluralistic environment at the command. He’s been temporarily reassigned while an investigation takes place.

Modder said he’s always been honest with sailors when they come in for counseling, telling them up front what they should expect from him as a Christian. The Liberty Institute, a conservative legal firm, is representing Modder.

Christy Barritt is an award-winning author in Chesapeake, Virginia. She and her husband, Scott, have two sons (christybarritt.com).