The Post-Intelligencer will continue as an online news source, but the Rocky, as folks in Denver apparently called it, is dead. What does this mean? Is the feel of newsprint in hand fading quickly into some sort of Orwellian future? Have we sacrificed our ability to take in large amounts of information for a sound bite?

While I don’t currently take the newspaper, I have fond memories of when it was in the house. I have had letters to the editor published in the St. Petersburg Times and the USF Oracle. The Traffic Doctor (aka Ron Hartung, who accepted a retirement buyout from the Tallahassee Democrat as a cost-saving measure) has printed my questions and even re-worked a thing about being careful in the fog that I submitted. Somewhere in my abode, there are paper copies of most of these, and even though the newsprint has yellowed and aged, there’s pride that something I wrote was good enough to appear in print read by many.

Part of the reason I don’t take the newspaper is there seems to be more than enough paper in my residence, most of which I seem to be reluctant to send to the blue can. Another part is the convenience of reading it online. Perhaps it is time for me to call up the Democrat or the St. Petersburg Times (which is one of the best newspapers in Florida) and subscribe. While I am all about using new technologies, a part of me yearns to be able to pick up a newspaper now and again.

Since the judiciary of this country has failed these children, crisis pregnancy centers exist to help women who find themselves pregnant to help them to chose to protect the innocent life growing in their wombs. In Tallahassee, A Women’s Pregnancy Center is such a center, and it is conveniently located near the campus of FSU and FAMU, where much peer pressure exists for men and women to engage in sex outside of marriage.

On Saturday, March 7, 2009, my wife and I will be participating in “Walk for Life”, which supports A Women’s Pregnancy Center. We want this resource to continue to exist in the Tallahassee community, and we want them to be able to continue to counsel women to choose life.

If you wish to partner with us, please contact me.

References

1. Declaration of Independence (National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html)
2. Roe v. Wade (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade)
3. Bill of Rights: Amendment V (National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html#5)

27. Am I forwarding something about religion (mine or someone else’s)? (If so, delete).

How true it is. I get forwards that people send because they think I will be interested because it is Christian. However, often, I have already seen them or something similar. Besides, is forwarding an e-mail really a good way to “make disciples of all the nations”¹ or to beg others “on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”¹? Wouldn’t it be better to take time to write the person a personal message and carry on an electronic conversation with them?

28. Am I forwarding something about a virus or worldwide charity effort or other potential hoax? (If so, visit snopes and check to see if it’s ‘actually true).

Again, I may have already seen it. Also, it might not be true, and therefore, is a waste of my time. Besides, shouldn’t a place of such unlimited educational potential be used for it? Not to mention, slactivism accomplishes nothing (that sounds like “faith without works”³).

36. If I had to pay 42 cents to send this email, would I?

Self-explanatory.

Footnotes

1. Matthew 28:19 (NASB)
2. II Corinthians 5:20 (NASB)
3. James 2:26 (NASB)
4. I guess I am in a footnoting mood tonight.

What I thought is a bit bigger than a Facebook message and useful to those of you waiting to see the film. Therefore, here are my thoughts on the second Narnia movie:

I thought The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was a much better movie than Caspian. With Caspian, they strayed too far from the book and there was the other thing that the San Francisco Chronicle ’s Mick LaSalle captured more elegantly than I could hope to:

Alas, Lewis without Christianity just isn’t Lewis.

The faith was evident in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe . It disappeared in Caspian the movie. I fear that Disney & Walden have a Star Trek -type curse going on where every other movie will be bad. Or perhaps it was that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was such a wonderful production.

The new way to add a Google Map to your site uses the very standard and very accepted image tag. Google has provided nice, full documentation for the new method.

A Google Maps API key is still needed, but this gives web developers one more tool in their arsenal to display geographic information without JavaScript (which is turned off in some browsers to prevent hacking, attacks, and unwanted advertisements) or the iframe tag. By doing so, we can share geographic information in a visual way with more people than we could before.

Mark Burleson responded to me with a link to this comic strip, which made me laugh.

Read the story, then read it again, but instead of a medical facility, make it your church.

Think about your church, what obstacles are in the way: both in the building and on your web site.

I’d like to take a minute to wish you the fullness of all that this holiday has to offer. The fullness prophesied about 2,600 years ago by Isaiah:

The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. Isaiah 9:2-3 (NASB)

Furthermore, Isaiah prophesied:

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB)

The prophesy of Isaiah was fulfilled around 2,000 years ago. While we do not know the exact date, the early church leaders decided to take the coldest and darkest part of the year to celebrate the time when the light came to shine on us. That light is the Christ-child, whose birth is the reason for the holiday of Christmas. Strip away the toys that will become boring, the electronics that will break, and the clothing that will wear out, and we are left with Him: Jesus Christ, who came to give a dark world a great light that we could not provide for ourselves. May the peace, love, and joy of the Christ-child fill your heart this holiday season and always. May you and your family have a joyful, peaceful, and wonderful Christmas.

You may enjoy Rob’s sharing of a telling of the Christmas story.