The Great Separation

28 Orphans & Missionaries Escape Seconds before Tsunami Destroyed Orphanage.

This will give you goose bumps. - If you haven't noticed yet, I've been updating the post, "Tsunami Survivor Stories."

But I just wanted to share with my regular readers this particular story I just added.

John Lancaster, reporting for The Washington Post, penned a detailed report (I found on NewsObserver.com) on the survival story of Dayalan Sanders and the orphanage he runs in Sri Lanka. It's a story of miracles.

The article is titled, "Man saves orphans using faith and a good boat."

It's a must read. Lancaster describes the escape in a boat that immediately started when it normally takes four to five attempts to start.

Not only was water cascading over the lagoon side of the peninsula, but it also was pouring in from the mouth of the estuary about two miles away. Sanders feared the converging currents would swamp the small craft. At that point, Sanders said, he recalled a line from the Book of Isaiah: "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall raise up a standard against it."

He raised his hand toward the flood and shouted, "I command you in the name of Jesus stop!" The water then seemed to "stall, momentarily," he said.

Give thanks to the Lord an keep praying and doing what you can to help.

Addendum:
I found Lancaster's article a number of places on the web, including The Washington Post, but interestingly enough, the element I quoted above and other elements of Christian faith were apparently edited out everwhere except on NewsObserver.com.

My Christmas Excitement, Part 2.

Can I return this? - When last we left our intrepid commoner... hehe.

Okay. I'll try to keep this shorter than the first entry. No promises though.

My Christmas Excitement, Part One.

Can I return this? - Every so often something odd or exciting happens around here. Well, this past Christmas weekend proved to be one of those times for me, but in the darkness of the horrific earthquake and tsunami my experience is of little consequence.

None the less, it is my intention to post the events of this last weekend, if not for the readers of TGS who might find the oddity in them, at least for my memories in a hope to find some meaning in the going ons - a common human desire.

So to that end I will begin with Friday.

The Last Christian Carnival of 2004.

Come one, come all. - Well, I think it's particularly neat that my blogger friend and sister in Christ, Stacy, is hosting the years final Christian Carnival at her new digs: MediaSoul.

There's a lot of good stuff in this issue. So be sure to click over to the year end bash.

Info & Prayer Request on Tsunami from Advent Christian Missions.

The Day the Earth moved. - I received the following eMail from my denomination's missions department.

There are several things of note like the info of land mines floating in the water.

Tsunami Survivor Stories.

The Day the Earth moved. - The Online Sun has a number of survivor stories.

One from a woman diving 50ft off the coast. The waves took her and diving mates up a hill and they took shelter on a hotel roof.

Another on the beach said it was like being in a giant washing machine.

The count now is 45,000 119,000 145,000 234,000 [updated 2005.01.24.] and rising.

Update: 2005.01.01.

You can see before and after satellite photos of the tsunami damage from DigitalGlobe.

Christian Persecution This Christmas Season.

They hate you because of me - There is a number of articles around the web detailing the trials many Christians faced running up to and during this Christmas season.

To start with, Michelle Malkin has an article titled, "War on Christians deserves attention," in The Sun News. In her article she details some of the Christian persecution over the last year.

Malkin begins:

Keep Your Bumpy, Ugly, Juicy, Delicious Tomatoes to Yourself.

Ugly doesn't mean bad. - Here's a tasty oddity that touches close to home. ;-)

Home of course being Florida.

What with the recent tomato problems across the nation driving costs as high as $3 a pound at one point, it is interesting to see the Florida Tomato Committee banning the sale outside of Florida of a new variety of tomato dubbed "UglyRipes."

Why are they banning it?

Well, because it's ugly. The fact that it's tastes great just isn't good enough.

ABCNews reports:

'Shameless' Sacrilege Stirs British Controversy.

They hate you because of me - There's apparently a BBC Cannel Four TV program that tries to be it's worst which has generated a bit of controversy.

Clive Davis reports for The Washington Times that the program,

"Shameless" is something of a cult hit over here ("Packed with sex, drugs, gratuitous violence, love and scams," declares the publicity material...).

Sounds like your typical unreality-reality show.

The controversy is over a spate of Christmas season advertisements that are peppered all over London and other areas of the Great Isle.

The poster features twelve of the cast members re-enacting Christ's Last supper as portrayed by the master, Leonardo da Vinci.

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas hope for you. - The message is simple.

God come to earth, a sacrificial gift for the sins of the world, so that man might know forgiveness, freedom, true Peace, and communion with Him.

To all I wish you a Merry Christmas.

Rob (aka Pest), Stacy, Nykola, La Shawn, Larry, Fish, Monica, Reid, Rebecca, Donna, Steve, Tiff, Juile Anne, James, Gary, Sara, and all that I've failed to name, Merry Christmas.

May the celebration of Christ's miraculous birth be less a time of gift giving and more a time of communion.

May this be a year of becoming more like the Savior for us all.

Seeking, Serving, and Signaling Christ,
Hal