The Great Separation

Wonderful Christian News Site and Portal.

Book mark it. - Just wanted to alert you all to a great new Christian website.

It's called The International Faith Telegraph.

I'm doing a bit of work for them but the news they cover in the missions world is great and encouraging to me.

Here's their press release:

Two Former 'Missionary Kids' Launch News Service: The International Faith Telegraph: World Christian News & Missions News

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Feb. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- Newly launched - The International Faith Telegraph: World Christian News & Missions News is a highly informative news website that keeps you in touch with daily Christian world news, as well as missions news and international evangelism worldwide.

The International Faith Telegraph: World Christian News & Missions News, founded by two former "missionary kids," was launched less than a week ago and has already begun making contact with Christians and missionaries around the world.

"In just the first few weeks since we started this project, we have been so blessed to make contact with people all over the world. God has really opened up our eyes to see that there is so much happening in the world today. God is doing so many exciting things, and much of it is found in the stories of individual Christians and missionaries you have probably never heard of," said Co-Founder Laura Larson.

The founders hope to promote a new, rarely promoted, yet highly informative news angle by placing less focus on political news, and greater focus on worldwide news, bringing its readers inspiring missions stories from individual missionaries and organizations around the world. In doing so, this news source provides 'instant' access to how God's people are fulfilling the Great Commission worldwide.

"We believe it is important to stay current with politics; however, it is easy to invest so much emotional energy in U.S. politics, and become so frustrated, that you forget about other subjects near to God's heart, like reaching the lost. And you forget that there is a lot to be excited about today."

The International Faith Telegraph: World Christian News & Missions News also promotes the success of Christian artists, worldwide advancements and trends in technology, and churches worldwide, by publishing articles that are inspiring and give the 'good' news a place to stand out.

Ultimately, The International Faith Telegraph: World Christian News & Missions News hopes to inspire Christians and keep them connected to the worldwide Christian community.

For the latest world Christian news and missions news, all day, anytime, it's now but a click away at www.faithtelegraph.com.

Be sure to check it out. I'm certain you will find it useful on a daily basis.

Amazon Bans Gang Rape Video Game.

After the fact - When did perversion become common place and marketable?

I saw this article over the weekend. It makes me ill to know that someone out there thinks it would be loads of fun to simulate gang raping a woman, virtual or not.

Here's the article link:

Rapelay virtual rape game banned by Amazon 

In Rapelay, gamers direct a character to sexually assault a mother and her two young daughters at an underground station, before raping any of a selection female characters.

The game was intended for release just in Japan, but was on offer to British buyers through Amazon Marketplace, the section of the online store's website open to third-party sellers.

But Amazon has now withdrawn the game after complaints from users, deeming it to be inappropriate. "We determined that we did not want to be selling this particular item," a spokeswoman said.

Frankly I am shocked that it took complaints from users of Amazon for them to find this material "inappropriate."

Not only is it inappropriate, but it's detestable and frankly I think it could be argued that it's a harm upon society.

God does not want us to dwell upon such things let alone act them out in our house again and again with a video game so that we become numb to such a horrible act.

It saddens me to think about what kind of society we are becoming.

Where is Hal Today?

In front of a computer silly. - Yeah. Seems I'm spending more and more time there if such a thing is possible. Though I guess it doesn't exactly translate here on my blog.

The other place it isn't translating - and this is really bugging me - is in the exercise field. I'm really falling behind in getting regular exercise and it's bothering me. Why? Well, if you don't know, I dropped over 100+ pounds through regular walking and exercise. So being tied to this computer is driving me bonkers.

Though the computer isn't the only reason. When I broke my foot over a year ago, that threw me out of whack and frankly I still have a bit of an issue with my foot that probably is related to that injury. I was getting back into the regular power walking but over a week ago I hit a snag with a bad cold.

So now I'm feeling guilty.

The good news is I landed some more client work (thus more time on the computer) doing what amounts to on-line marketing using the blogging/Internet skills I've developed over the last six years. Something for which I have to tell you I'm so thankful to the Lord. Last week I was driving down the road and I asked the Lord for some financial help. The next day I opened the eMail and there was the help.

What and awesome God!

Other stuff:

The economy. What a seedy restaurant dumpster dive it is turning out to be. I continue to look at the spending (stimulus / bailout / generational borrowing) plans that the DC types are promoting and at the Congressional kangaroo courts and I can't help but shake my head. I don't see any help coming out of that area. They are attempting to put a band-aide on a cancer they helped grow with their telling banks to make loans to people who couldn't afford a home. There's that and the whole idea they have that debt is what makes this nation run. They call it credit, but it is debt and they just want to encourage that "future" borrowing.

Granted the nation is running that way. But that doesn't make it right by a long shot. Those who aren't operating under that dynamic are the ones who are going to be better off this year and the ones to come.

Guest Blogging on the Persecution Blog.

You're where? - Hey folks. Oh, just a note, I'm still fighting a cold if you were wondering. This will be the one cold I allow myself this year. cough.... (As if I have any say.)

Anyway, that's enough about me... errr. I guess this post is a bit more about me but not in that self indulgent manner.

I just wanted to let you know that you can find me posting some over at Voice of the Martyrs Persecution Blog.

My great friend Stacy Harp who runs the blog asked me to fill in while she was off at the Women in Christian Media Conference and also the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

You've more than likely seen that at the end of my posts on Christian persecution that I often make mention that the Persecution Blog is a great place for more info on the difficulties facing many Christians around the globe.

Well, until mid-week next week you can find me posting over there as well.

Check it out.

Illness is no fun.

Cough, gag, cough. - I don't know how I did it, but I caught someone's cold. And I wasn't even trying.

I spent yesterday morning distributing food and supplies for Operation Blessing and it was cold and windy. But I was warmly dressed yet somehow I managed to leave feeling like I snagged someone's cold.

Sigh... Well, the bad thing is I'll probably gain a few pounds because I can't exercise and I have some incredible munchies.

The good thing I will so love being healthy when it's past.

Daughter Pleas for Help for Her Father Who is Suffering Through His 7th Year in Prison.

They hate you because of me - The following is a press release from China Aid which I just received. If you can please take action. And also, please continue to remember our brothers and sisters in foreign lands who face such persecution. Pray too for their persecutors, that they may come to know the redemptive love of Christ Jesus.

GUANGDONG – Christian democracy activist, Wang Bingzhang, is enduring his seventh year in prison in solitary confinement, and his family reports that he is deteriorating physically and mentally. His daughter, Ti-anna Wang, wrote the letter below appealing to the international community to speak out on her father’s behalf.  ChinaAid urges supporters to visit the family’s website at www.wangbingzhang.comfor information about sending letters to Wang Bingzhang in prison, advocating on his behalf and praying for their family.

The following is the letter Ti-anna Wang sent to ChinaAid.:

Widely regarded as the founding father of the Chinese pro-democracy movement abroad, my father, Wang Bingzhang, was a medical doctor who went to Canada for graduate studies at McGill University. He was among the first students sent abroad to study after the Cultural Revolution and became the first person from the People’s Republic of China to receive a PhD from a western university.

Upon graduation, my father decided to give up a promising career in medicine to devote his life to Chinese pro-democracy activism. He then moved to New York where he founded China Spring magazine and co-founded several of the first overseas Chinese democratic parties.  My father spent the next 20 years of his life organizing and promoting pro-democracy activities in North America and around the world. 

The Chinese Communist Party's concern about his activities eventually led to his arrest.  In June 2002, while traveling in Vietnam with fellow activists, my father was kidnapped and brought to China.  He was then arrested and falsely charged with espionage and terrorism.  In a trial that lasted a day where no evidence or witnesses were presented, my father was convicted and sentenced to life-imprisonment in solitary confinement. 

His sentence is the harshest levied on a political prisoner since 1989.  Since his imprisonment, my father has gained the support of the American and Canadian governments.  The United Nations and Amnesty International have also intervened on his behalf.  Despite these efforts from his family, my father continues to languish in prison where he has developed several serious medical conditions that make his family fearful for his life.  He suffers from phlebitis, severe hay fever, gastritis, varicose veins and depression.  He has also had three major strokes.  My father is now serving his seventh year in prison.

My father is permitted one family visit per month, each session lasting only half an hour.  Our family must make the trip from North America to China for these monthly visits, during which glass panels and bars separate my father and my family. We must communicate using a phone under the surveillance of several prison guards. In addition to meeting once a month, my father and my family communicate by exchanging monthly letters.

My father has always loved Chinese calligraphy, and since his imprisonment he has developed an interest in etymology. He spends many hours in his prison cell practicing his art and studying Chinese characters. A devout Christian, my father especially enjoys writing Bible verses as well as popular Chinese proverbs in different styles. He used to send them to my family as birthday presents until the prison officials decided [sic] stopped him from sharing his writings with us.

Please help me secure my father’s freedom by taking action by writing to Congress. Visit www.wangbingzhang.com to read more about his case. Keep my father in your prayers and share his story with family and friends.

Love,
Ti-Anna Wang
Daughter of Dr. Wang Bingzhang

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For further information on Christian persecution around the globe the Christian Persecution Blog is a good source.