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THE LATEST 'HEAVY TOPICS WITH A LIGHT TOUCH'






September 24, 2007:
blog, e-zine or whatever it is I do here . . .

• Top topic: Third grandchild, Nathan, arrives at 1:44 am, September 25

• Exclusive report of government arrests, killings in Myanmar

• Halloween: annual look at all things creepy
JAMES WATKINS FOR PRESIDENT
• I'm out campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire
JAMES WATKINS FOR PRESIDENT
• Oral arguments: ORU not OK
ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY NOT OKAY
• Sandy Cove writers' conference takes Word to world

• School shootings: better shot at being struck by lighting

• Take your writing to a new Vista

• This is a Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-free site

• Trees of the field: annual fall photo fest
JAMES WATKINS FOR PRESIDENT

With a kabillion sites you could visit, thanks for stopping by here! I hope you'll come back regularly for constantly updated humor; commentary on sex, society, the supernatural; and, of course, my plot to overthrow society as we know it. (Please save it as a "favorite," then tell a friend.)







Top topic: Wednesday, September 26, 2007
third grandchild, nathan, arrives september 25

Our son, Paul, emailed, "Nathan was born on Tuesday the 25th at 1:44am and weighed in at 7.8 pounds and was 21 inches long. He has a full set of hair and is doing very well. Amy is recovering much quicker than she did with Micah and is praising the Lord for that. We are all doing well. Thank you all for your prayers and thanks for welcoming our newest edition."

Lois and I stopped by the hospital for a visit before I flew out to the
Sandy Cove Writers' Conference. (Click below for more pics.)
• More pics of newborn Nathan
• Pics of two-year-old Hannah and Micah



Friday, October 12, 2007
exclusive report of government arrests, killings in myanmar

A missionary from my denomination, sent this disturbing report of the government arrests and killings of pro-democracy demonstrators in Myanmar (formerly Burma):


I am writing to ask you to join our brothers and sisters in Burma to pray for their country and its circumstances. You and the rest of the world are getting very little information right now because of the crack down and the severing of information lines between Burma and the rest of the world. However we have received information from a sister via a secure phone line who lives in Burma. She has said the situation is worsening.

The government is going through the streets pulling people out of homes and putting them into trucks and taking them to prison. They are terrorizing these people. Additionally there have been more killings and imprisonments of monks. Acts of genocide which already exsisted are increasing. Internet lines have been cut. It is as if the government has tried to close the door to their house and are going to punish and teach these peple a lesson for their civil disobedience. There are are stories of random shootings, armored vehicles running over people and other unbelievable circumstances. It is reported that at this moment in time there is no other place on earth where people are being more severely mistreated and killed.

In response to all this the minority of Christians (about 2 million or less than 2 percent of the population) have declared a day of fasting and prayer. Will you please join them? Thank you. Additionally it would be a blessing to these people if your churches would pray as well. If I can pass this along to the believers in Burma please let me know you and your churches are praying. It will encourage them. Blessings, [name withheld]

Thanks for praying!
• Report from Voice of America [off site]



Thursday, October 11, 2007
school shootings: better shot at being struck by lighting

Despite this week's school shooting in Cleveland and the thwarting of a Columbine-like killing spree planned in Philadelphia, you're more likely to be struck by lighting than being killed in a school shooting.
• Lessons from school shootings
• More on school shootings



Wednesday, October 10, 2007
take your writing to a new vista

It’s déjà vu all over again! I'm now overseeing print and online communications at College Wesleyan Church where I served as youth pastor 25 years ago. Now I just took on freelance editing Vista over which I was editorial director 19 years ago. Never burn bridges!

This means I'm actively soliciting freelance articles for the Sunday school take-home paper. Please email submission directly to me as Word attachments.
Vista guidelines
Vista themes
• My email address



Monday, October 8, 2007
oral arguments: oru not ok

According to the Associated Press, Oral Robers University president. . .


. . . Richard Roberts is accused of illegal involvement in a local political campaign and lavish spending at donors' expense, including numerous home remodeling projects, use of the university jet for his daughter's senior trip to the Bahamas, and a red Mercedes convertible and a Lexus SUV for his wife, Lindsay.

She is accused of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to friends of her children and sending scores of text messages on university-issued cell phones to people described in the lawsuit as "underage males."

If allegations are true, this is just another case of the lack of accountability that runs from TBN to ORU. Both organizations have family members on the board rather than independent oversight of spending.

In a some-what related article at ChristianPost.com, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, warns, "The Charismatic movement is so driven by emotion and by passion that it sometimes lacks both theological and moral accountability." In the same article, Tim Morgan, an editor at Christianity Today, observed, "Quite a few of these independent churches feel they are beholden to God alone."

And so, some observations on the:
• Importance of accountability
• Danger of lack of accountability
• Need to address scandal honestly
News reports
• AP report [off site]
• ChristianPost.com report [off iste]



Saturday, October 6, 2007
trees of the field: annual fall photo fest

Fall flings confetti
against Winter's wind;
Celebrating Summer,
Trusting for Spring
© 2001 James N. Watkins

This is my favorite season, so it's time again for . . .
• Annual fall photo fest



Wednesday, October 4, 2007
sandy cove writers' conference takes word to world

We just concluded the 2007 Sandy Cove Christian Writers' Conference, and I'm exhausted—but it's a good kind of exhaustion. A God-touched lives, inspired-hearts, and educated-minds kind of exhaustion. Plan to join us next year September 28-October 1!
• Sandy Cove Christian Writers' Conference
Notes from this conference's seminars:
• Crossing Over with the Cross
Communicate to Change Lives
Related article:
• How to avoid exhaustion (I need to re-read it!)



Monday, September 24, 2007
I'm out campaigning in iowa and new hampshire

Actually, I'm busy directing the
Sandy Cove Writers' Conference. (I'll be back online October 8.) Meanwhile, do check out my presidential campaign site:
• James Watkins for President 2008: Making a splash with the Pool Party



Later Monday
this is a mahmoud-ahmadinejad-free site

The American media seems to be playing right into the hands of deranged Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He won't receive any coverage or comment from this site!
• "Jim Shorts" on media



Monday, August 27, 2007
last issue's 'heavy topics with a light touch'

The nation marked the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a senator got in trouble tapping his foot to that catchy airport music, Kathy Griffin got an "F" on the "D-list," a talk show host called "prosperity gospel" preachers "snakes," and Russia encouraged workers to stay home and make love.
• Click here to go back in time



Monday, October 1, 2007
september's top ten sites

September's ranking (August ranking)

   1. Home page / blog (1)

   2. Top ten reasons I'm not divorcing my wife (2)

   3. Quips and quotes of encouragement (3)

   4. Women in ministry issues (7)

   5. One nation under the Supreme Being of your choice (—)

   6. Is it a life or a choice? (—)

   7. "Jim Shorts" on sex (5)

   8. Masturbation: the hidden habit (10)

   9. "Jim Shorts" on spirituality (8)

  10. Latest and last "Jim Shorts" (9)





But wait, there's more . . .
code, copyrights, comments . . .

We subscribe to proposed 'blogger's code of conduct' I'm glad to see the online community developing a set of guidelines to bring civility and credibility to the blogsphere. I've adapted the proposed policy (printed in red) to create my own code of conduct.


1. Responsibility for our own words First, I believe that, as a follower of Christ, I am responsible to "speak the truth in love" and to "let all [my] conversation be full of grace." Jesus never backed away from controversial subjects, but He was "full of truth and grace." Second, I believe plagiarism is stealing and thus a violation of the eighth commandment. All material on my site is original with me unless credited to someone else. And third, as a journalist, I must be objective, accurate (I will verify all facts with at least two reliable sources) and fair (I will quote people in context and strive to present their position accurately).

2. Nothing we wouldn't say in person We must be as responsible and civil we are in the real world. I believe that personal attacks, name-calling, profane or vulgar language, and racist, sexist and ethnic humor have no place in the real or virtual worlds.

3. Encouragement of responses (That's currently not in the code, but it should be!) I include guest's comments at the end of articles and columns as well as encouraging comments on my host's online discussion board.

4. No anonymous comments Commenters must supply a valid email address before they can post, though I allow commenters to identify themselves with an alias, rather than their real name for sensitive issues.

5. Discretion to delete comments I refuse to post comments that do not conform to my own code in point 2.

6. Vigorous enforcement of blog hosts' terms of service

7. Nothing harmful We will not engage in any activity that would cause physical, mental, social or spiritual harm or encourage anyone to do the same.

I'll probably be tweaking this as I go along, but for now, those are the promises I'm making to you as a guest on my site.

Blogger's Code of Conduct [off site]
Legal Guide for Bloggers (also very good!) [off site]
Some thoughts on blogging and responsibility



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