A Cemetery Inscription in Burlington, Vermont

Burlington, Vermont (2000 census population: 38,889) is the smallest city in the United States to also be the largest city in its state.  The following is a gravestone inscription found in one of its older cemeteries.

Her family probably didn't mean this in the way it sounds.

"She lived with her husband for 50 years

And died in the confident hope of a better life."

When Is a Flash Mob Not a Good Thing?

An Associated Content article by Tony Payne brings a new consideration into the mix about forming flash mobs in public places.  Do you remember the flash mob which broke out singing the Hallelujah Chorus at the shopping mall in Canada? ("A Surprise at the Food Court, 30 Nov 2010 on this blog, click on flash mobs label below)  Well, it happened again, this time in Roseville, California, but almost had a disastrous result.

The Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra organized the event but failed to consider that, unlike the event in Canada, the entire community knew about this singing beforehand, and they all wanted to be involved.  The flash mob in Canada involved about about six people and the mall business manager; the people in the food court joined in in delight.  The community response in Roseville  resulted in a crowd of over 5000.

The 5000 persons crowded into the Roseville Galleria, a facility not designed to handle that many people at one time.  Everyone was excited until the second floor suspended food court started to move and shake and make popping sounds.  The local authorities safely evacuated the mall and the singing was carried outside.

Before anyone does this again they need to plan a bit better.  If a large crowd is expected, the event should be held in a park or a stadium.  If it is the flash mob experience that the organizers are seeking,  then the number of people who know about the event in advance should be held to a minimum.  And, unless the organizers wish to take a chance on being arrested for trespassing,  they need to secure prior permission from the manager of the facility.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Mark David Chapman: (b. 1955, Texas) Chapman murdered former Beatle John Lennon in New York City on 8 December 2010.  He is incarcerated in Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York.

Richard David Falco: (b. 1953, New York; aka: David Richard Berkowitz, Son of Sam; .44 Caliber Killer) American serial killer and arsonist.  Between July 1976 and August 1977, he shot and killed six persons and severely injured several others, for which he received a 365 year prison sentence.  In 1987, he became a born-again Christian after reading Psalm 34:6. ("This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.")
................................................................................ 

Pe Maung Tin: b. 1888, Burma – d. 1973) Pali and Buddhism scholar, educator, journal editor, librarian, writer, grammarian, and historian.  Anglican.

Tin Tin Myaing: (aka: Brenda Tin) Daughter of Pe Maung Tin.  French language scholar, librarian.  She lives in London.

Pu Thuam Hang:  Pu was a Chief of Khuasak and was the first convert  (1905) among the Zomi (Chin) in Chin State, Burma.   

What Do You Have To Offer?

As saints indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we, each one of us, have been given spiritual gifts for use within and for the Church.  Each gift is a manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit.  Some of the gifts may be obviously supernatural (such as speaking in tongues or healing), others may seem to be more mundane (such as an always ready willingness to cook for the group or to maintain the church facilities or to lovingly tend to the small children and infants while their parents attend a worship service.)  Each of these gifts has been given to us for the good of the Christian community and for our own good and all of the gifts are equally important.  What we have been given we are expected to immediately turn and give to the Church. What do you have to offer?

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."  1 Corinthians 12:7

"As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

Mobile Templates

Blogger has added a new feature, mobile templates, which is suited for reading blogs on cell phones and, I think, also on e-readers. Read about it in the 17 December 2010 post, "New mobile templates for reading on the go," by Joho Han on Blogger in Draft.  I have activated this feature for Saints on the Loose!

TestimonyShare.com

Testimony Share is a site dedicated to the posting of individual Christian's stories about their conversion or about special times in their lives when they have experienced healing, deliverance from spiritual oppression such as addictions, or times when they have received deeper spiritual insights. The testimonies are grouped into several categories: salvation, deliverance, relationships, healing, conversion, martyrdom, biblical examples, missions, and prayer.

Kwanzaa

The celebration of Kwanzaa begins today and runs through 1 January, 2011.  The holiday, which is cultural rather than religious,  is primarily observed in the United States; the name of the celebration comes from the Swahili phrase, matunda ya kwanzaa, which in English is translated as "first fruits of the harvest."

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulanga Ron Karenga (b. 1941), a college professor, political activist, and black nationalist.  He called it a "communitarian African philosophy" and stated that the festival was intended to  help African-Americans reconnect with their African heritage.

Each of the seven days of the festival features a different African value: Umoja (Unity); Kujichagulia (Self-determination); Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility; Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics; Nia (Purpose);  Kuumba (Creativity; and Imani (Faith).

The festival has no overt religious content though some celebrants combine it with their Christmas festivities.  Nothing about the festival seems to be directly incompatible with Christianity.  Some criticism of the festival is based on its collectivist impulses.

Keeping Christmas

Many people observe Christmas with no idea of its meaning. In Japan, where almost no one is a Christian, many give Christmas gifts. E.M. Whittington (Chef Whitt), of Dripping Springs, Texas, says don't just observe Christmas, keep Christmas! You can keep Christmas with you all year long.

http://www.chefwhitt.com/

Merry Christmas from the North Point iBand

These guys are using iPhones and iPads to make their music. They are members of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Hello, Estonia!

Tere, Eesti. Tere tulemast lugejate gruppi 57 teistes riikides, kes külastab kaselles blogis. Loodan, et leiate mõned ametikohad kasulik või mõttekas.

"Tõlgi see leht" vidin otse üle "kuvamiste koguarvu" Counter on võimelinetõlkima ingliskeelset teksti selle blogi vahetult eesti keelde.

A Christmas Blessing

"May you be blessed with moments of silence and hope at Christmas and always." Fred Rogers

Answers to Yesterday's Post

Here are the answers to yesterday's post.

1. The lad is a diminuitive percussionist.

The Little Drummer Boy

2. Decorate the entry-ways.

Deck the Halls

3. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.

Silent Night

4. ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Noel, Noel

5. Present me dual incisors for this festive yuletide.

All  I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

6. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

7. Exuberation to this orb.

Joy to the World

8. 288 Yuletide hours.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

9. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

10. The red-suited Papa is due in this burg.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

11. Far back in a hay bin.

Away in a Manger

12. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.

Go Tell It On the Mountain

13. I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.

I Saw Three Ships on Christmas Day

14. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.

Hark, The Herald Angels Sing

15. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.

Jingle Bells

Try Your Hand At This

This is one of those things which get handed around from person to person.  No one knows where they start.  Try to figure out the actual titles of these Christmas songs from the very obscure clues you have been given. I'll post the answers tomorrow.

1. The lad is a diminuitive percussionist.
2. Decorate the entry-ways.
3. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.
4. ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
5. Present me dual incisors for this festive yuletide.
6. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.
7. Exuberation to this orb.
8. 288 Yuletide hours.
9. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs?
10. The red-suited Papa is due in this burg.
11. Far back in a hay bin.
12. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.
13. I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.
14. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.
15. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.

You Are a Temple of the Holy Spirit

"You are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  You are not just a person living your life by human power.  The Spirit of God is in you; that is why Jesus said it was better for Him to go and the Spirit to come.  Don't walk away from this.  Delve into it and let it impact you deeply, first internally and then outwardly."  Francis Chan in Forgotten God.  Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit (2009)

Edited post

The "Jingle Bells" post on yesterday is flawed.  The video window in which this opens on this blog platform cuts off the right side of the picture. You may wish to view this on You Tube  instead.

Just in Case

"I'm a non-believer, but I recently switched from atheist to agnostic ... just in case there is any truth to it.  I don't want to get on the Big Boss' bad side."  Daniel Stamm, German-born film director of The Last Exorcism (2010), his first horror film.

Jingle Bells

This post has very little to do with the purpose of this blog. I posted it "just because."
I realize that some international readers may not recognize the song. It is a secular Christmas song entitled, "Jingle Bells." Three of the dogs are obviously enjoying singing the song; the fellow on the right, not so much.



The video window in which this opens on this blog platform cuts off the right side of the picture. You may wish to view this on You Tube instead.

The Christian Origins of Several Science Fiction Writers

Science fiction is often considered to be an atheist endeavor and many science fiction writers would agree.  It is interesting though, how many of them had religious upbringings, many specifically Christian.

Robert A. Heinlein, Baptist; Gene Rodenberry, Baptist; Jules Verne, Roman Catholic; J.R.R. Tolkein, Roman Catholic; Stanislaw Lem, Roman Catholic;  Karel Capek,  Roman Catholic; Anthony Burgess,  Roman Catholic; Jerry Pournelle,  Roman Catholic; George Lucas, Methodist; Stephen King, Methodist; Beverly Cleary, Presbyterian; Piers Anthony, Quaker. 

Bible Printer's Errors: The Sin On Bible

In "The Sin On Bible" of 1716, the printer missed that John 8:11 said "Go and sin on more" rather than the correct reading of "Go and sin no more."

Hello, Argentina!

Hola, Argentina. Bienvenido al grupo de lectores de 57 otros países que también visitan este blog. Espero que algunos de los mensajes útiles o significativas.
El "Traducir esta página" gadget directamente sobre el "páginas vistas " total "contra el tiene la capacidadde traducir el texto en Inglés de este blog directamente en español.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Juan de Zumarraga: (b. 1468, Spain – d. 1548) Spanish Basque Franciscan and the first Bishop of Mexico. Protector of the Indians. In 1531, peasant Juan Diego had a vision of the Virgin Mary at Tepeyec and an image of Mary appeared on his cloak.  Bishop  Zumarraga oversaw the building of the Basilica of Guadalupe, which, because of Juan Diego’s cloak, has become the most visited Roman Catholic shrine in the world.  By 1536, the number of baptized Indians in Mexico was estimated to be five million.

Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun: (b, 1944, Laos) Roman Catholic bishop of the Vicariate Apostolic of Pakse.

Sokhom So: Vice president of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, a group of anti-Communist militants. He became a convert to Christian Evangelicalism in 1997.  He is now a jewelry executive in the State of Virginia (USA).

Simeon: (aka: Niger) A Christian leader in the church at Antioch (Syria).  Acts 13:1,2.

Stephen Edwin King: (b. 1947, Maine, USA, aka: Richard Bachman; John Swithen) Novelist, short story writer, comic book writer (horror, suspense, science fiction, fantasy).  His forty-nine (as of 2010) novels have sold over 350,000,000 copies and have spawned numerous films. Methodist. 

Hello, Venezuela!

Hola, Venezuela. Bienvenido al grupo de lectores de 56 otros países que también visitan este blog. Espero que algunos de los mensajes útiles o significativas.
El "Traducir esta página" gadget directamente sobre el "páginas vistas " total "contra el tiene la capacidadde traducir el texto en Inglés de este blog directamente en español.

Religious Groupings in the United States

In his book, Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites ..., Dr. Bradley Wright used Steensland *, et al's (2000) RELTRAD classification system, which identifies seven groupings to describe the religious bodies in the United States.   The designations "include, but are not limited to" the religious bodies/persuasions listed below.

Evangelical Protestants: the Southern Baptist Convention; some Independent Baptists; many non-denominational Protestant churches; the Lutheran Church; Missouri Synod; the Presbyterian Church in America; the Assemblies of God; the Church of Christ; the Church of the Nazarene; the Free Methodist Church; and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  They tend to be theologically and socially conservative.

Mainline Protestants: the American Baptist Church in the USA; the United Methodist Church; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Presbyterian Church, USA; the Episcopal Church in the USA; and the United Church of Christ.  They tend to be theologically and socially liberal or "progressive".

Black Protestants: the National Baptist Convention; the African Methodist Episcopal Church; the Church of God in Christ.  All of these denominations are primarily, but not exclusively, African-American.  They tend to be conservative in theology but more liberal in social views.

Catholics: Roman Catholics.  Although the Orthodox would probably object to being listed with the Catholics, I believe that they would be included in this group in this classification system.

Jewish: Separated into Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform traditions.  The Orthodox represent historic Judaism, the Reform are more liberal and modern, and the Conservatives are in the middle.

Other Religions: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, Oneness Pentecostals, and Unitarian-Universalism.  Some of these groups self identify as Christian but are rejected as heterodox by other Christians.

Religiously Unaffiliated: Atheists, Agnostics, and "Don't Cares."



* Steensland, Brian, et.al., "the Measure of American Religion: Toward Improving the State of the Art," Social Forces, 79(1), 2000, pp. 291-318.

Evangelicals

In the Book Comment I posted on December 11 for the book, Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites ..., I spoke of the religious designation, Evangelicals, and noted that there may be some confusion as to exactly what an Evangelical is.  The definition is not hard and fast and depends partly on who is doing the defining.  The list below is one to which most Evangelicals would agree, though some would add more items to the list:
1. A personal commitment to, and a personal relationship with, Jesus Christ.
2. Usually they are aware of a definite date on which this relationship began.
3. They believe that they are destined for Heaven after their physical deaths because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
4. Their personal sense of identity is strongly tied up in their faith.
5. They feel that they have a divinely mandated responsibility to share their faith with non-believers.
6. They are convinced that Satan is a real personal entity.
7. They believe that salvation is a gift from God gained through faith alone, not by works.  Works are merely an evidence of faith.
8. Jesus is the only person to have ever lived a sinless life.
9. The Bible is accurate in everything which it teaches.
10. God is the Creator, all-powerful, perfect, and utterly holy.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today is the Roman Catholic Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an important celebration in Mexico. It commemorates an event which occurred on 12 December 1531.  On the 9th of December, a peasant named Juan Diego was walking from his village (Tepeyac) to Mexico City, when he saw a young woman who spoke to him in Nahuatl.  She said she was the virgin Mary and asked for a church to be built in her honor at Tepeyac.  When Juan told his bishop, Fray Juan de Zumarraga (1468-1548). about the visitation the bishop insisted on proof.  On the 12th, Juan returned with an image of the Virgin Mary on his cloak.  The cloak is maintained in the Basilica of Guadalupe and the shrine has become the most visited Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in the world.

Book Comment: Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites ...

Bradley Wright is a sociologist who does research on American Christianity.  He is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut.  In his book, Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites ... and Other Lies You've Been Told (Bethany House, 2010), he examines several sociological databases for information by and about those in America who profess religious beliefs and those who don't.

To quote Dr. Wright, "The thesis of this book is that Christians are exposed to many inaccurate statistics about our faith."  Some of the factors which can result in misleading statistics are research questions which are not concise, a failure to accurately define exactly what is being measured, self-interest and philosophical bias, lack of formal training by researchers, lack of peer-review,  or an attempt to lead change rather than merely to accurately describe.

One example of misleading data which Dr. Wright cites is the fact that Baptists are apparently held in higher regard by other groups, including the religiously unaffiliated, than are Evangelicals.  This is odd since most Baptists would be classified as Evangelicals.

People not understanding the questions asked or the terms used is an obvious problem.  Dr. Wright asked some of his students to define "Evangelical."  The responses included "television evangelists" (several of whom are now discredited due to sexual or financial scandals),  and door to door missionaries, whose visits are much dreaded by many people.  Much of the validity of sociological research depends on how the researcher defines and asks the questions.

This is, at times, very detailed reading, but throughout, Dr. Wright tries to lighten it up by injecting humor into the text.   In Chapter One, he writes,"You should read this book because "there is a deeply disturbing trend of bad statistics that is sabotaging American Christianity and destroying the American way of life, and if you ignore it your entire body will soon be covered with boils.  The good news, however, is that if you buy this book and read it carefully, you will avoid this calamity; plus you'll live longer, have fresh breath, and your kitchen knives will always stay sharp."

Numbers of Adherents of the World's Religions

These are very approximate estimates of the numbers of followers of several of the world's religions and/or philosophies.

Christianity                        2,100,000,000
Islam                                  1,500,000,000
Secular/Agnostic/Atheist   1,100,000,000
Hinduism                              900,000,000
Chinese traditional                394,000,000
Buddhism                             376,000,000
Traditional African               100,000,000
Sikhism                                  23,000,000
Juche                                      19,000,000
Spiritism                                 15,000,000
Judaism                                  14,000,000
Baha'i                                      7,000,000
Jainism                                    4,200,000
Shinto                                     4,000,000
Cao Dai                                  4,000,000
Zoroastrainism                        2,600,000
Tenrikyo                                 2,000,000
Neo-Paganism                        1,000,000
Unitarianism-Universalism        800,000
Rastafarianism                           600,000
Scientology                                500,000

Paul Quoted Pagan Poets????????????????

Paul quoted pagan poets???????????????? Yes. He quoted the poets Menander (1 Corinthians 15:33), Aratus of Cilicia (Acts 17:28), and Epimenides of Knossos (Titus 1:12). He did this because he was intimately familiar with the intellectual debates of his day and was capable of using non-Christian sources to make his points. His use of the sources was not intended as an endorsement of everything else their authors said and wrote.

Modern Christians make a mistake if they "ghettoize" themselves, reading only Christian sources, hearing only Christian voices, insulating themselves from the rest of the world. We can''t go (Matthew 28:19) into the world, evangelizing the world, if we cocoon ourselves away from the world. We are to be "in the world but not of the world." (John 17:14-15; Romans 12:1-2)

Light Bulb Joke: Agnostics

How many agnostics does it take to change a light bulb?
Do light bulbs really exist?

What They Think Of Us: John Lennon

"Christianity will go.  It will vanish and shrink."
John Lennon

Christian Heresies: Apollinarianism

Apollinaris of Laodicea (aka: Apollinaris the Younger, d. 390) was the Bishop of Laodicea (in modern Syria) and an ardent anti-Arian.  In his attacks on Arius' teachings he went completely in the other direction, stressing the divinity of Jesus to the exclusion of His humanity.  He taught that Jesus did not have a human soul but was instead a body inhabited by the pre-existent Logos (Greek = "Word"); in effect, this rendered Jesus neither fully human nor fully divine.  The teachings of Apollinaris were condemned by the Council of Constantinople in 381.   Some say that Apollinarianism survives as Monophysitism.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.: (b. 1954, New York, USA) Actor (2 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, 1 Tony Award). Son of a Pentecostal pastor.  In 1995, Washington donated $2,000,000 to build  the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles (California). Pentecostal.

Prem Singh Gurung: (b. Nepal)  On 18 Oct. 201, Gurung was arrested in Buddhist Bhutan for publicly displaying Christian films in the cities of Gonggaon and Simkharka.  He was sentenced to yjree years imprisonment for the crime of “attempting to promote civil unrest.”

Kang Keke Iew: (b. 1942, Cambodia; aka: Kang kek Iev, Kaing Guek Eav, Comrade Duch, Comrade Deuch, Hang Pin) As a leader in the Khmer Rouge Communist movement, Kang ran the Tuol Sleng prison camp.  In 2010, he was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison.  He is now a lay Evangelical pastor who speaks Thai, French, Khmer, and English.

May Hnin Nu: (b. 1986, Myanmar: aka: Rebecca Win)  Burmese model, actress, pop music singer.  She is fluent in Japanese.

Htee Moo Kee: (b. 1927, Burma – d. 2006; aka: Bo Mya) Karen rebel leader.  Baptist/Seventh-Day Adventist.

Hello Ecuador!

Hola, Ecuador. Bienvenidos al grupo de lectores de cincuenta hasta cinco otros países que también visitan este blog. Espero que algunos de los mensajes útiles o significativas.
El "Traducir esta página" gadget directamente sobre el "páginas vistas" total "contra el tiene la capacidad de traducir el texto en Inglés de este blog directamente en español.

Whose Name Is On Your Foot?

Many of the people associated with Pixar Studios (Toy Story,  Wall-E,  Finding Nemo, etc) are openly Christian so it is not surprising to find Christian elements in their films, though the films themselves are clearly secular.   In the Toy Story series of films, steadfast and loyal Sheriff Woody, a floppy-limbed cowboy doll, continually asks the other toys, "Whose name is on your foot?"  He reminds them that they belong to Andy and that their purpose is to attend to Andy.  They are marked by their owner.

Many people don't like that concept.  They refuse to accept that we all belong to, are owned, by someone or something.  It may be a political or economic philosophy, a religious denomination, a cultural movement, sports, the pursuit of pleasure or wealth; anything which consumes our attention and loyalty.

The Bible clearly understands that we all are marked.  We all belong to someone.  Some belong to God.

Ezekiel 9:14  "And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof."

Revelation 7:2-3  "Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

Revelation 22:4 "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."

Some belong to Satan.

Revelation 17:4-5  "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

Revelation 13:16  "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, 

to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:" 

Whose name is on your foot?

Hello, Turkey!

Merhaba, Türkiye. Hoşgeldin de bu blogu ziyaret elli dört diğer ülkelerden gelen okuyucuların gruba katıldı. Sana mesaj yararlı veya anlamlı bazı bulacağını umuyorum.

"Çevir Bu sayfa" "Toplam Sayfa Görüntüleme" doğrudan yukarıda gadget Counter Türk doğrudan bu blogun İngilizce metin çevirme yeteneğine sahiptir.

Hello, Ivory Coast!

Bonjour, Côte d'Ivoire. Bienvenue sur le groupe de lecteurs de cinquante-trois autres pays qui viennent visiter ce blog. J'espère que vous trouverez quelques-uns des messages utiles et significatives.

Le "Traduire cette page" gadget directement au-dessus du "Total des pages vues" Counter a la capacité de traduire le texte anglais de ce blog directement en français.

An Ethiopian/Eritrean Christian Song

This is an Ethiopian/Eritrean Christian song.  I'm not sure, but I believe that the lead singer is named Sara Chaka and that the language is Tigrinya/Tigringa rather than Amharic.  I do not know the title of the song.

Book Comment: Jesus and His Friends

Jesus and His Friends is a very age appropriate introduction to Jesus for pre-school and First Grade children.  In very simple drawing's, John's Baptism of Jesus is shown and Jesus and His disciples are depicted going about teaching His message, feeding the five thousand, healing the Centurion's servant, and loving children.

The book is distributed by the Zondervan publishing company, a family-owned publishing house founded in Michigan in 1931.  The company was a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association  (ECPA).  Read more about Zondervan at http://www.zonderkidz.com , http://www.zondervan.com , and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zondervan .

Atheism

"Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber on weekends."  Woody Allen