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THE TWELVE SITES OF CHRISTMAS






KAYLAH GRACE, BORN DECEMBER 18

December 10, 2007
for unto us a grandchild is born

• Top topic: For unto us a grandchild is born

• Anglicans not happy about gay bishop

CT reveals its top ten stories of 2007

• "Extreme" devo banned in New York!

• "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

• How Christmas saved a Grinch

• Is Huckabee running for president—or prophet?

• Last issue's heavy topics with a light touch

• Murders mar merry Christmas

• Ten best (and worst) mannered people of 2007

• Top ten sites

• Twelve Sites of Christmas


With a sleigh full of 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: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
for unto us a grandchild is born

The advent season is about waiting. The virgin Mary had been waiting for nine months. A "righteous and devout" man called Simeon, had been waiting all his life. And the Israelites had been waiting for hundreds of years. All waiting for the arrival of the Messiah: the Savior.

Lois and I have not only been anticipating the arrival of Christmas, but the birth of our fourth grandchild: Kaylah Grace. She arrived this morning at 8:08 am weighing in at 8 pounds and 1 ounce and at 21 1/2 inches long! Both Faith and Kaylah are doing well. (Pic above: Faith, Hannah, Kaylah and Mike)

I trust you sense the joy of the Savior's birth and the anticipation of His return. "Glory to God in the highest!"



Friday, December 21, 2007
ten best (and worst) mannered people of 2007

The "Ten Best-Mannered People of 2007" have been named by the National League of Junior Cotillions. (In case, like me, you're asking, "Who?!" their well-mannered news release describes itself as "an etiquette and social training program that involves thousands of young people in the United States." Please excuse me for my ill-mannered ignorance.) Here's their list:


1. Miley "Hannah Montana" Cyrus: for being a positive role model for young people
2. Tim Tebow: for displaying good sportsmanship on and off the field
3. Reese Witherspoon: for setting high standards of excellence as an actress
4. Tony Dungy: for his example of humility and politeness (Go Colts!)
5. Rachel Ray: for the warmth and kindness she extends to her guests
6. Brett Favre: for his perseverance as an athlete (Go Packers!)
7. Marie Osmond: for her positive influence as an entertainer
8. Billy Graham: for his life of integrity and dedication
9. Laura Bush: for her commitment to family values
10. Tiger Woods: for inspiring young people to achieve their best

This, of course, begs a "Ten Worst-Mannered People of 2007" list which I am happy to oblige:


1. Britney Spears: for being a negative role model for young people
2. Michael Vick: for displaying animal cruelty off the field
3. Lindsay Lohan: for setting low standards of behavior as an actress
4. Donald Trump: for his example of arrogance and name-calling (Number 7 is "a loser")
5. Jerry Springer: for his exploitation of his guests
6. Barry Bonds (and all those listed in the Mitchell report): for steroid use as an athlete
7. Rosie O’Donnel: for her negative influence as an entertainer
8. ORU's Richard Roberts: for his alleged life of luxury and excesses
9. Planned Parenthood: for its commitment to abortion, sexual “freedom”
10. Rappers and terrorists: for inspiring young people to achieve their worst



Later Friday
ct reveals its top ten stories of 2007

Tis’ the season for top ten lists. Christianity Today is out with its “Top Ten Stories of 2007.” This, of course, assumes that nothing blows up, no one dies, or that Jesus doesn't return in the next ten days! Nevertheless, I commented on seven of the current ten:


1. Taliban takes Korean short-term mission team hostage, killing two
2. Atheism tops the bestseller charts
3. Presidential campaigns start early, with some faith surprises
4. Ruth Graham promoted to glory
5. Anglican Communion fractures over Scripture, homosexuality
6. Three Christians tortured and killed in eastern Turkey
7. Lions of the Religious Right pass away (Jerry Falwell)
8. Francis Beckwith returns to Catholicism
9. Campaign to oust NAE's Richard Cizik fails
10. Supreme Court upholds 2003 federal partial-birth abortion ban

CT story

I'd add a few more, in no particular order:


The Pope declares Protestant churches "defective"
National Baptist Convention "denounces" prosperity gospel
U.S. Senator investigates six top prosperity gospel preachers
The successful—at this point—presidential campaign of a Southern Baptist preacher
A Mormon presidential candidate prompts questions about LDS



Thursday, December 20, 2007
'extreme' devo banned in new york!

I’m writing 20 devotions for the American Bible Society’s X-treme Bible that they assigned me to be “very edgy." Apparently, one of them was too edgy for their conservative audience. What’s ironic is that the Bible itself deals with much more explicit issues than my devo does! Click below to read the . . .
banned devo



Tuesday, December 18, 2007
anglicans not happy about gay bishop

The 77 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion is facing a major split over the ordination of openly gay clergy in the United States. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is trying to hold the global communion together. Friday, he told Episcopalians (American Anglicans) it is "practically impossible" to expect a clearer response from the American church which had earlier agreed to halt the ordination of openly gay bishops.

Ah, wouldn't it be a "clear response" to remove “openly gay bishop" V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire who caused the worldwide uproar when appointed in 2003? Just a thought.
Full story at ChristianPost.com



Monday, December 17, 2007
'. . . Jesus and the devil are brothers?'

Republican presidential candidate
Mike Huckabee stepped into a media minefield when he asked, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

The answer, according to the Latter Day Saints actual publication, Gospel Principles, is yes:


Our Father said, "Whom shall I send?" Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, "Here am I, send me." Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, "Behold, here am I, send me. . . . " After hearing both sons speak, Heavenly Father said, "I will send the first."

More on Mormonism



Tuesday, December 11, 2007
murders mar merry christmas

Eight people were gunned down in an Omaha mall last week and this Sunday, four were shot and killed outside two church facilities. These tragedies have marred the merry Christmas season for family and friends of the victims.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow didn't feel in much of a holiday mood when, during the Civil War, he heard the bells on Christmas Day. His wife had been killed in a house fire in 1861, and his son had been critically wounded in the War in December 1863. But his famous poem, believed to have been written in 1864, offers hope in God's providence amidst his (and our) current chaos and crises:
Click here for "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"
(Column written the December following 9/11)




Later Tuesday
is huckabee running for president—or prophet?

I appreciate Mike Huckabee's uncompromising positions and pronouncements in the race for president. However, I’m beginning to wonder if the former Southern Baptist preacher and governor of Arkansas knows he doesn’t have a chance at being elected. Instead, has he chosen to be more prophetic than presidential in his campaign? He certainly has a message America needs to hear. Here are some sound bytes from this week’s speech to the South Baptist convention:


The reason we have so much government is because we have so much broken humanity. And the reason we have so much broken humanity is because sin reigns in the hearts and lives of human beings instead of the Savior.

Government knows it does not have the answer, but it's arrogant and acts as though it does. Church does have the answer but will cowardly deny that it does and wonder when the world will be changed.

I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives.

I'm often asked why taxes are so high and government is so big. It's because the faith we have in local churches has become so small. If we'd been doing what we should have—giving a dime from every dollar to help the widows, the orphans and the poor—we now wouldn't be giving nearly 50 cents of every dollar to a government that's doing ... what we should have been doing all along.

Wow! It's almost like listening to the biblical prophets. But, if I understand the biblical prophets, they were rarely in the majority and never, with the exception of Daniel, held any government position. They served a much more important role of presenting God's convicting message to the people and politicians. Perhaps that's Mike Huckabee's real role in the 2008 campaign.



Monday, December 10, 2007
how christmas saved a grinch

Besides getting an electric train, a gigantic teddy bear, and a "Sneaky Pete" magic set, the thing I remember most about Christmas as a kid was the spirit of the whole season.

It usually started sometime around the Macy's Parade and lasted until the final needle fell from the tree. For about six weeks, I would experience real joy and excitement and even a sense of genuine love.

Then in my junior year of high school, come Thanksgiving time, I didn't notice any change. K-Mart's decorations had been up since October, the Sunday school program was history, the Advent candles were burned to stubs, and all the angel hair was finally vacuumed up. But I hadn't felt any change!

Gasp! Had I become a Scrooge at the tender age of 16? The next season became a "Ghost of Christmas Past" and still no change.

Click for the rest of the story



Friday, November 23, 2007
last issue's 'heavy topics with a light touch'

• Top topic: Our Annual Twelve Sites of Christmas

• "A Christian bozo is still a bozo"

• American Muslims silent on "Teddy bear" sentence

Charisma editor supports investigation of Hinn, others

• "He ain't no baby no more"

• "Ho! Ho! Ho!" political "No! No! No!"

• Mitt to take off gloves on Mormon faith

• More Americans believe in devil than in Darwin

• Religious freedom for one—and all

• Richard Roberts receives vote of no confidence at ORU

• World Hope: hope on "World AIDS Day"




Saturday, December 1, 2007
november's top ten sites

November ranking (October ranking)

 1. Home page / blog (1)

 2. The nativity story (—)

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

 4. 'Jim Shorts' on holidays (—)

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

 6. Is it a life or a choice? (10)

 7. Women in ministry issues (6)

 8. Quips and quotes of encouragement (8)

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

10. "Jim Shorts" on sex (7)




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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