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THE LATEST 'HEAVY TOPICS WITH A LIGHT TOUCH'






November 1, 2007:
blog, e-zine or whatever it is I do here . . .

• Top topic: Thanks for nothin'

• Beyond conservative Christian litmus tests

• The blog is dead! Long live the blog!

• Celebrate "World Toilet Day" November 19

• "Last Candidate Standing" game show proposed

Holiday Christmas litmus test? Humbug!

• If you're traveling by air this thanksgiving holiday . . .

• International day of prayer for persecuted church

• New source of stem cells doesn’t destroy human embryos

• Speaking in Indy, Kansas City, Fort Wayne

• Top ten signs office staff stressed out

• "Trick or treat" chocolate actually good for you

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: Thursday, November 1, 2007
thanks for nothin'

"Thanks for nothin'!" It's usually a sarcastic remark, but for the prophet Habakkuk it was actually gratitude in nothing:

  Even though the fig trees have
  no blossoms,
    and there are no grapes on the vines;
  even though the olive crop fails,
    and the fields lie empty and barren;
  even though the flocks die in the fields,
    and the cattle barns are empty,
  yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!




Photo from RakeMag.com
Top ten things for which to give thanks . . . even if you think you don't have any reason to give thanks
Plus, turkey trivia



Wednesday, November 21, 2007
thanks for everything

Wow! A lot to be thankful for this year: grandchild number three, Nathan, was born September 25 and number four, Kayla, is due December 17; a wonderful part-time job supervising all print and online communications at a large church; a reasonable amount of sanity after a crazy year of traveling to nineteen conferences as well as a trip to Zambia and a heavy amount of freelance work; plus the entire Watkins kin is getting together Friday. "Thank you, Father!"

I'll be back online Friday with the annual "Twelve Sites of Christmas." Until then, have a very grateful Thanksgiving Day!
2007 in review . . . so far
The Twelve Sites of Christmas



Tuesday, November 20, 2007
'last candidate standing' game show proposed

Some interesting results from a new Washington Post-ABC News poll: Barack Obama leads with 30 percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers, Hillary Clinton draws 26 percent and John Edwards comes in third with 22 percent. And, the closer the numbers, the nastier the attacks on each other. This week, conservative columnist, Robert Novak, claimed the Clinton camp had "scandalous" dirt on Oboma, but were going to be the more honorable campaign and not disclose it. Clinton's people denied it, while Oboma demanded if they have dirt, to reveal it.

Why would anyone want to vote for any Democratic or Republican candidate after they have wallowed in the mud with members of their own party for over a year?! Here's an alternative way to elect the president:
The "Last Candidate Standing" game show



Later Tuesday
if you're traveling by air this thanksgiving holiday . . .

. . . you must be completely out of your mind—or really love your family! Here are some helpful links to survive delays, cancellations, lost luggage and cramped seating:
Top ten things not to say in airport security line
Airline survival guide
Driving sometimes quicker, cheaper



Even later Tuesday
new source of stem cells doesn’t destroy human embryos

According to the journals Cell and Science, scientists have created versatile stem cells from human skin cells rather than human embryos. As I noted in a July 2006 column, the creation of stem cells—without destroying embryonic life—could avoid the ethical and moral objections and possibly lead to cure for Parkinson disease, spinal injuries, etc. A patient would be able to be his or her own stem cell donor!
Report from ABC News
Commentary on value of embryonic life



Monday, November 19, 2007
celebrate 'world toilet day'

Here's the one holiday that Hallmark cards hasn't exploited: World Toilet Day. Yep, I'm flushed with excitement, bowled over with gratitude, moved with emotion—okay, I'll stop—but I am thankful for the American toilet!

Zambia, with its "pit latrines," and India, with its holes in the floor, could use a little World Toilet Day. The United-Nations-sponsored event is dedicated to providing the world's population with clean, sanitary and environmentally-friendly toilets. The World Toilet site also provides—I'm not making this up—"Toilet Entertainment" and "Urgent!" the video game!

T 'anks for toilets!
My ode to the comode
Official World Toilet Organization site [off site]



Thursday, November 15, 2007
holiday christmas litmus test? humbug!

Liberty Counsel’s Matthew Staver is out with a “Naughty & Nice” list for stores this holiday—excuse me, Christmas—season.

If the store doesn’t specifically use the word “Christmas” in its store promotion, it goes on the “naughty” list and all God-fearing Christians are expected to boycott the business. Home Depot made that list by using phrases such as “Holiday Gift Center” and “Holiday Decorations.” Others on the list: K-Mart, Nordstorm, Best Buy, Gap, Sprint and Office Max. “Nice” businesses include Amazon, Macy’s, JC Penny, WalMart and American Eagle Outfitters.

Humbug! There are much more important issues for Christians. For instance, are those on the “nice” list actually abiding by “Christian” principles in their business practices? Does the business treat its employees fairly with benefits and a livable salary? Does it refuse to buy items made in overseas “sweat shops.” Is it conducting business ethically or is it engaging in predatory pricing to put other stores out of business?

As I mentioned just Monday, these narrow litmus tests often miss the larger—and eternal—issues. So, while I’m at it . . .
Let's put the X back in Xmas
Let's remember "goodwill to all" this holiday season
Let me know what you think



Monday, November 12, 2007
beyond conservative christian litmus tests

Recently, Pat Robertson has been known primarily for his, shall we say, "surprising" statements: After 9/11 The 700 Club host commented that God was "lifting his protection from us" because of acceptance of homosexuality. He suggested the United States should assassinate Venezuela President Hugo Chavez. In 2006 warned that "the coasts of America will be lashed by storms. There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest." And at the beginning of this year, warned that terrorist will attack the US with mass killing, possibly millions of people, major cities injured." But last week, may have been his most surprising declaration of all:

The conservative Christian, who founded the conservative Christian Coalition, endorsed liberal Republican Rudy Giuliani! The former NYC mayor supports abortion and gay rights—two issues opposed by Christian conservatives. Robertson believes Giuliani will support the war on terrorism, appoint conservative judges, reduce crime and limit federal spending.

I asked my source at CBN why Robertson would endorse a pro-abortion, pro-gay rights candidate and not thoroughly conservative Mike Huckabee. His answer, "Giuliani has a better chance of winning."

If the election choice comes down to Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, conservative Christians won’t have any candidate who passes their abortion and same-sex marriage litmus test. Many will simply choose to stay home election day. Others will be forced to more closely examine which candidate most closely aligns with issues Jesus considered important, rather than simply asking "Is he or she pro-life and anti-gay rights?"

"I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink? I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothing and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sister of mine, you did it for me" (Matthew 25:35-36).

So, who do you think Jesus would elect?
Some thoughts on Jesus' priorities
My run for president



Sunday, November 11, 2007
international day of prayer for persecuted church

Two hundred million (200,000,000) Christians suffer for their faith every day, from Cuba to North Africa to the Muslim Middle East, India and the rest of South Asia, North Korea, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, to name just a few. Today—and every day—I'd encourage you to pray for our brothers and sisters who are being tortured, imprisoned and killed simply for believing in Jesus Christ. Here are some great ministries serving the persecuted:
Official IDOP site
International Christian Concern
Voice of the Martyrs



Monday, November 5, 2007
top ten signs office staff stressed out

Now that writers in Hollywood are on strike, late-night talk shows will be airing reruns, so if you miss Letterman's "Top Ten List," here's one I just wrote for Rev. magazine:

Top ten signs the office staff is stressed out

10. When anyone asks the administrative assistant for something, she replies, "Paper or plastic?"

9. The executive pastor has replaced the "In" box on his desk with his waste basket.

8. The pastor of congregation care’s new voice message now announces, "Call back when you’ve got a real problem."

7. Memos from teaching pastor end with, "I warn everyone who hears these words: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this memo. And if anyone takes words away from this memo, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city."

6. Staff too busy to write number 6.

5. Youth pastor is skinny-dipping in baptistery—more than usual.

4. Rather than the music of "Bill Gaither Homecoming" CDs coming out of senior adult pastor’s office, it’s now "Pillar."

3. The Diet Coke in the office frig has been replaced with Red Bull.

2. The number of the local psychiatric hospital is on the office phone’s "speed dial."

1. The pastor of communications is writing his Rev. column on stress.

• More of my top ten lists
• More on stress and how to keep your sanity



Saturday, November 3, 2007
the blog is dead! long live the blog!

Friend and fellow blogger, Keith Drury, reports that of the 300 million people who took up blogging, a full 200 million have given up and let their sites turn to "link rot." That leaves 100 million active bloggers. That’s still a huge number (one in every sixty human beings on the planet), so I am grateful that you’ve chosen to visit this site of the 100 million offered! Keith provides theories explaining the drop. Here are his six points along with my commentary:

1. It’s hard work
Yep, this tripe doesn’t write itself!

2. Bloggers get little appreciation
I must have an unusual group of visitors, because many of you take the time to write a thank you for articles on my site. Thanks. And when I receive an email that says, "Your site [on death and grief] saved my life tonight," that keeps me staring at the screen! (My email link is on the right navigational panel. Hint. Hint.)

3. Blogging makes no money
That’s basically true, but neither does baking a casserole for someone who’s lost a loved one, writing a note of encouragement to someone who’s going through a tough time, or visiting your grandmother in the nursing home. I look at it as a service I’m providing. (A service of questionable value, perhaps, but a service nonetheless.)

4. People can be mean
Also true. My favorite "flaming email" was in response to my column on capital punishment. "Your logic is nuts! Your exegesis is nuts! You are nuts!" He may be right.

5. Running out of ideas
Yep. After writing a weekly newspaper column for fifteen years, I woke up one morning to find that the part of my brain that writes columns was totally burned out. I now write a column each issue for Rev magazine, but that’s only once every two months, so my fried neurons are slowly regenerating. (And, you’ve probably noticed that many of my recent posts are links to previous columns. Maybe, like Forest Gump—after 300 online columns— I’m coming to the point of simply writing, "That’s all I got to say about that.")

6.Little feedback
Keith was obviously "running out of ideas" and expanded on point 2! Little appreciation and little feedback can be discouraging. I’ve always followed the politicians’ principle that for everyone who writes, there are one thousand who feel the same way, but never get around to write. So, two or three comments a week, actually represent two to three thousand visitors’ views.

Keith also provides eight predictions on the future of blogging. Great article! Check it out, then send him a note of encouragement for his hard work as well as a donation to his cause.
• DruryWriting.com



Friday, November 2, 2007
speaking in indy, kansas city, fort wayne

It's been great to be home for nearly a month! Now two more conferences and a college class:

November 2-3, I'll be speaking at Wesleyan Publishing House's Christian Writers' Workshop, Indianapolis, on . . .
Writing online
Self-publishing is not for losers

November 8-10, I'll be speaking at the Heart of America Christian Writers Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, on . . .
Writing to change lives
From stage to page
"I'm a giant killer!" keynote

November 26, I'll be speaking at Taylor University Fort Wayne



Thursday, November 1, 2007
'trick or treat' chocolate actually good for you

Thankfully, when my children were in school, they thought dark chocolate was "yuck." So, when they came home with their over-flowing plastic pumpkins, I would scrounge through their loot for those Hershey's miniature dark chocolate bars. It turns out, they were actually good for me!
• Health benefits of dark chocolate



Wednesday, October 31, 2007
last issue's 'heavy topics with a light touch'

• Top topic: Halloween: annual look at all things creepy

• Celebrating cyber Sabbath

• Dress up like Martin Luther and celebrate "Reformation Day"

• 'Helping' God take out the trash

• Is latest stay of execution death for lethal injections?

• So-called church sued for picketing marine's funeral

• Top ten advantages of robot love

Unchristian reveals un-Christ-like perceptions of Christians

When Life Gives You Lemons gets squeezed out




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

October ranking (September ranking)

   1. Home page / blog (1)

   2. Halloween: Our annual look at all things creepy (—)

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

   4. "Jim Shorts" on spirituality (9)

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

   6. Women in ministry issues (4)

   7. "Jim Shorts" on sex (7)

   8. Quips and quotes of encouragement (3)

   9. God hates www.godhatesfags.com (—)

  10. Is it a life or a choice? (6)




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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