New website promotes Christian missions, spotlights Haiti relief

There are an overwhelming number of organizations involved in Haiti relief efforts, and some Christians may be confused about which ministries deserve their prayer and support.

“On www.Godreports.com we’ve chosen to feature some of the Christian organizations that have a well-established presence and track-record in Haiti,” says Mark Ellis, founder of Godreports. “If a ministry is really making a difference on the ground, we want to get behind and support what they’re doing,” he says.

Some of the ministries featured on the Godreports homepage include Childcare Worldwide, Compassion International, Mission of Hope Haiti, and New Directions International.

The vision for the Godreports website began after Ellis visited two Wycliffe Bible translators on Mindanao in the Philippines in 2004. Ellis says that he was surprised by what he found.

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Feb. 7-14 National Marriage Week USA

National Marriage Week USA announces a new initiative for the week leading up to Valentine’s Day 2010, and is putting forth a call to mobilize hundreds of organizations to plan and prepare for awareness and activities for February 7 to 14, 2010. The goal is to elevate national attention on the need to strengthen marriage and ways to do it, and initiate new efforts to reduce the divorce rate and build a stronger marriage culture which in turn helps curtail poverty and benefits children.

National Marriage Week has long been an organized celebration around the world (www.marriage-weekinternational.org) with large rallies, resolutions in Parliaments, concerted outreach for marriage education, and more. But not many folks know about it in the U.S. This week in 2010, a new initiative is being launched by National Marriage Week USA in an effort to build collaboration and focus uniquely on February 7 to 14 with coordination of national efforts at www.marriage-weekinternational.org.

Chuck Stetson, chairman of National Marriage Week USA says “The alarming drop in marriage rates in America combined with high divorce rates are financially costly to taxpayers and individuals, and emotionally costly to children. Marriage breakdown costs taxpayers $112 billion a year. The nation needs to pay attention.”

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American Captured In Iraq. Who’s To Blame?

Western civilians–a journalist (Daniel Pearl), a businessman (Nicholas Berg), a civil engineer (Kenneth Bigley), and an aid worker (Margaret Hassan)–have been captured, beheaded, and shot in Pakistan and Iraq. Western troops have also been captured, tortured, and barbarically slaughtered.

The mindset that American troops face is very different from our own. For example, if a Muslim jihadist wants to kill someone, he might stage an elaborate ruse and kill someone else entirely—all in order to have people say that his primary target was killed by accident. Or, he might kidnap a high value civilian as a bargaining chip in order to free other, imprisoned jihadists.

With this in mind—let’s try to understand what is now going on in Iraq in the matter of the captured American.

First, you can’t necessarily trust the mainstream media to get the facts exactly right…Continue reading on Chesler Chronicles >>

Stephen Kruiser, Blackhawk Blogging, from Kuwait, Baghdad

For new readers, Stephen Kruiser, one of my favorite people and bloggers, is a professional comedian from L.A. that has his own political blog at StephenKruiser.com, and radio show, on RFCRadio.com (Radio for Conservatives). You may have also seen him on FoxNews’ “Red Eye,” with Greg Gutfield. Occasionally, he also blesses us with a cross-post here on FHK.

Well, over these couple of weeks, Stephen is taking comedy show overseas, along with several other comedians, to Kuwait and Iraq to entertain the troops. He has some great photos and stories under the Global War on Terror section of his blog. You can also follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

From today’s report:

…For the first time all week, we were assured that our Blackhawks would be there on time because the crew that brought us there stuck around for the show to bring us back. They were even cool enough to wait and let us get some pictures with them before we left.

After an exciting trip over sand punctuated by an occasional blown-up tank, we returned to Al Asad, which is more like a small city when compared to most of what we’ve seen this week. We jumped through some security hoops and received VIP badges, still feeling the effects of the last time we were called that at this base.

There was a huge turnout for the show, which was one of the best this week (audience and comedians). Unfortunately, we were being whisked around the base in the dark so not many good pictures were taken. I’ve got some from the show that I’ll pull off of my video camera later but I should probably at least brush my teeth before getting on the plane.

I’m going over notes from the week to post something more coherent than these picture-diary type things I’ve been doing since I got here. Suffice it to say that I can’t think of any adjectives that are too over the top to describe what we’ve seen, heard and felt these past few days. There are some truly amazing Americans over here, many of them so young it boggles the mind. The commander at FOB Falcon made a point of introducing us to an eighteen year old private who he called “the tip of the spear”. I swear that if I’d seen the kid out of uniform I would have thought he was 14 tops.

What’s most stunning is the number of young people here who volunteered for all of this after this all started. I can’t even begin to think of what to say about that.

True Immigration Reform

(Updated)

The liberal left wing media, using Saul Alinsky’s guide, has portrayed the GOP as the Party of “NO”.  I think it is about time the GOP actually do something positive.

The GOP representatives in Congress for whatever reason seem to always be on the defense. They are reactive instead of being proactive. GOP initiatives, if they are being proposed, never see the light of the media nor the blogosphere. The few initiatives that we have heard about are “compromises” or proposals to counter initiatives by the other side.

I believe it is time for the GOP to take the reins on Immigration Reform and make it their issue. Before the Nov. 2008 elections I wrote three articles on this subject.

Part I: The Silent Majority Wants Immigration Reform

Part II: Let’s Formulate a Plan for Immigration Reform

Part III: Immigration Reform Points

In the third article I offered some simple basic points that would reform the immigration laws. The only thing I would add to my previous reform proposals would be the repeal of the family reunification provisions of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act. If the GOP actually proposed reforms such as I have put forward they could actually get ahead of the power curve.

If the GOP continues to sit back and do nothing they let the liberals dictate the terms.

Also on Blogs4Borders

How Kids View ‘Tech’

Out of the mouths of babes…, well, teens, actually, at the Teens in Tech Conference in San Francisco this weekend. Here we see the future of tech (and our society).

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Buried Alive In Turkey – and Under the Burqa

In Turkey—a country which was nearly accepted as a member by the European Union—a father and grandfather recently buried Medine Memi, a sixteen-year-old girl, alive—and all because she was seen talking to boys. Medine was repeatedly beaten. The police did not help her. When the men buried her she was “alive and fully conscious.”

This savage, heartless, primitive act is the ultimate, logical consequence of burying women alive—shrouding them–while they still roam the earth. One becomes claustrophobic under the burqa, until one gets used to being seen as a ghost, invisible, non-human, dead.

All this past week, I received news of this atrocity in Turkey. I refrained from writing about it. What can one say? There is nothing to say. There is everything to do. No one is doing anything…Continue reading on Chesler Chronicles >>

Tebow Facebook Effort Explodes to More Than 200,000 Supporters

“Support Tebow’s Super Bowl Ad,” the Facebook campaign launched by Americans United for Life Action in partnership with LifeNews.com, now boasts more than 200,000 people and is growing every second. This effort was started to demonstrate support for Focus on the Family’s Super Bowl commercial featuring college football superstar Tim Tebow and his family.

“The attempt by the National Organization for Women and NARAL Pro-Choice America to prevent Tebow’s commercial from airing tomorrow is out of step with mainstream Americans, ” said Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President of Americans United for Life Action, “200,000 of whom took the time to join us on Facebook to show their support.”

Click HERE to interact with this Facebook campaign.

Americans United for Life Action is the activist arm of Americans United for Life, the first national pro-life organization.
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12 inches of Global Warming

The Virginia Republican Party takes a swipe at global warming in this new ad mocking those who supported it legislatively.

 

Planned Parenthood’s Latest Tactic: ‘Brilliant, Slick and Unscrupulous’

For several weeks, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) has been sitting on the sidelines while its cohorts attacked CBS Television for agreeing to air a pro-family commercial during the Super Bowl. It seems the hierarchy of the abortion-committing group did not want to come off looking as ridiculous and petty as their counterparts. Just in time, two former pro-abortion leaders, Frances Kissling of “Catholics” for a Free Choice and Kate Michelman of NARAL Pro-Choice America, have come to the rescue of the rarely silent PPFA.

In an opinion piece published in The Washington Post, Kissling and Michelman chided their pro-abortion contemporaries for opening their mouths before thinking and failing to see a failed strategy when they were in the midst of the debate. The pair argued that “picking on Tim Tebow and his mom is not the way to go.” They said that instead of criticizing or trying to censor the ad, “the pro-choice movement needs its own Super Bowl strategy.”

“Pam Tebow was indeed courageous and had the legal right to choose,” Kissling and Michelman conceded. However, they argued that those who choose abortion are equally courageous, and this is the key point that should be made when talking about the ad. They offered up a specific suggestion: We’d go with a 30-second spot, too. The camera focuses on one woman after another, posed in the situations of daily life: rushing out the door in the morning for work, flipping through a magazine, washing dishes, teaching a class of sixth-graders, wheeling a baby stroller. Each woman looks calmly into the camera and describes her different and successful choice: having a baby and giving it up for adoption, having an abortion, having a baby and raising it lovingly. Each one being clear that making choices isn’t easy, but that life without tough choices doesn’t exist.

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CWA Applauds New Proof that Abstinence Works

Americans have received messages for years from so-called social scientists presenting “evidence” that abstinence programs are ineffective, that they actually increase sexual activity among teens. Now, a landmark study on abstinence education published in a refereed journal, The Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, gives solid evidence that abstinence education is effective in delaying teen sexual activity, preventing teen pregnancy and avoiding sexually transmitted diseases. The study, conducted by University of Pennsylvania researchers and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, found that two years after the program only one-third of the ‘abstinence-only’ group reported having sex, compared to one-half of the ‘control’ group. Neither the ‘condom’ group nor the ‘abstinence and condom’ education groups revealed any impact on sexual involvement.

Penny Nance, Chief Executive Officer of Concerned Women for America, said, “This new study is extremely important because the earlier teens begin having sex, the more partners they have and the more likely they are to be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases. This evidence shines a light of truth on the myths that are promoted by Planned Parenthood and those who benefit financially from ‘comprehensive’ sex education programs at the expense of the well-being of the nation’s adolescents and pre-teens.”

The study involved 600 Black youths (grades 6-7) who participated in 1 of 4 randomly assigned interventions. One group had 8 hours of abstinence education; another 8 hours of condom education; another 8-12 hours combining abstinence and condom education; and the control group received no education about sexual behavior.

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How a ‘Nice American Girl’ Became a Jihadist: Dr. Siddiqui Found Guilty

She studied at MIT and at Brandeis where she received a Ph.D in Neuroscience. Thus, she was both an educated and in some sense, a westernized woman. Both her Pakistani-born father and Pakistani husband are physicians who trained in the West, in England and America, respectively; her brother and sister are also highly trained professionals. Nevertheless, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui learned to hate America, hate Jews, and hate Israel right here in liberal America…Continue reading on Chesler Chronicles >>

Just in Case

Also on  American Daughter

Rumor has it the White House told Reuters to scrub the details of the middle class tax hit. Here’s a screenshot of the sanitized page. Usually we don’t copy entire articles from news sites, but abide strictly by “fair use.” However, just in case this information could be lost, we are going to make an exception here. We pulled this copy from a surviving Canadian site. [Note: Within moments of our taking the copy, the Canadian site was also scrubbed.]

Backdoor taxes to hit middle class

Mon Feb 1, 4:09 PM  |  By Terri Cullen

NEW YORK (Reuters.com) –The Obama administration’s plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.

In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year — effectively a tax hike by stealth.

While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases.

The targeted tax provisions were enacted under the Bush administration’s Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Among other things, the law lowered individual tax rates, slashed taxes on capital gains and dividends, and steadily scaled back the estate tax to zero in 2010.

If the provisions are allowed to expire on December 31, the top-tier personal income tax rate will rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. But lower-income families will pay more as well: the 25 percent tax bracket will revert back to 28 percent; the 28 percent bracket will increase to 31 percent; and the 33 percent bracket will increase to 36 percent. The special 10 percent bracket is eliminated.

Investors will pay more on their earnings next year as well, with the tax on dividends jumping to 39.6 percent from 15 percent and the capital-gains tax increasing to 20 percent from 15 percent. The estate tax is eliminated this year, but it will return in 2011 — though there has been talk about reinstating the death tax sooner.

Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a “patch” that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax. The AMT, initially designed to prevent the very rich from avoiding income taxes, was never indexed for inflation. Now the tax is affecting millions of middle-income households, but lawmakers have been reluctant to repeal it because it has become a key source of revenue.

Without annual legislation to renew the patch this year, the AMT could affect an estimated 25 million taxpayers with incomes as low as $33,750 (or $45,000 for joint filers). Even if the patch is extended to last year’s levels, the tax will hit American families that can hardly be considered wealthy — the AMT exemption for 2009 was $46,700 for singles and $70,950 for married couples filing jointly.

Middle-class families also will find fewer tax breaks available to them in 2010 if other popular tax provisions are allowed to expire. Among them:

* Taxpayers who itemize will lose the option to deduct state sales-tax payments instead of state and local income taxes;

* The $250 teacher tax credit for classroom supplies;

* The tax deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and expenses;

* Individuals who don’t itemize will no longer be able to increase their standard deduction by up to $1,000 for property taxes paid;

* The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits are taxable, in 2009 that amount was tax-free.

Tail wags to Tweeters @midlifechick and @ConserValidity for sounding the alarm!

Oklahoma Bill Provides Scholarships for Students with Special Needs

 

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 19, 2010) – Oklahoma school children with special needs — such as those with Down’s syndrome or autism – would have new education choices under legislation filed by state Rep. Jason Nelson and state Sen. Patrick Anderson.

The bill will also expand the Self-Directed Care Program to provide greater benefits to all developmentally disabled Oklahomans receiving state support.

“I believe the parents of special-needs children should have greater choice and control when it comes to their child’s education,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “These kids have unique challenges that are not always properly addressed by local schools. I believe the state should give those children the opportunity to attend the school that provides the best learning environment for them.”

“The intent of this bill is to focus on the needs of the student,” said Anderson, R-Enid. “This legislation will open the door for many families to have options when it comes to providing educational opportunities for their special-needs children.”

House Bill 3393, by Nelson and Anderson, creates the Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.

Under the bill, students with disabilities who have an individualized education program (IEP) would qualify for a scholarship to attend any school which meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

The scholarship program would not require new spending during the downturn, but would merely redirect existing funds that are currently being spent on the student.

“Instead of having the child’s educational options limited to what the local school can provide, the scholarships would allow parents to select schools based on the child’s needs,” Anderson said.

Andrea Kersey, mother of a child with high-functioning autism, has founded Heartland Academy in Tulsa, scheduled to open in 2010, which is dedicated to the education of students from 6th grade through 12th grade with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

“Social issues, difficult for normal teens to navigate, can become completely overwhelming to the teen with autism,” Kersey said.

Kersey’s teen son needs the type of education she plans to bring to Tulsa.

“My son, Ryan, works hard to be social. It’s difficult for him, but with practice it’s a skill he is trying to master. All students with special needs deserve every possible educational option and House Bill 3393 will give them new and better choices so they can achieve to their full potential,” Kersey said.

House Bill 3393 also amends the Self-Directed Care Pilot Program administered by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services by expanding the program statewide and making it permanent. Under the program, individuals with developmental disabilities are given a budget allowance in which they direct services rather than a third party. This creates a saving that is shared by the individuals directing and receiving the service and with the Department of Human Services.

“What is so exciting about this approach is that the savings generated allow the state to serve more people on the five-year long waiting list for services, and it allows the individual directing their own services to better afford the help they need,” said Nelson.

Money for the current program, the home- and community based services, is funneled through third-party provider agencies that direct the care, rather than the family. Because of the expense associated with third-party directed services, there is less money available to pay for those services. HB 3393 will allow the state to expand services to more people even in the middle of the state’s budget crisis.

Under House Bill 3393, families will be provided a monthly budget and allowed to directly hire care staff at lower – but still market-based – rates. Families can also use the program to get much needed respite care. Nelson said.

“I have visited with families who tell me they sometimes get close to a breaking point while caring for their family member with disabilities and that the ability to take an evening off and focus on their marriage makes all the difference,” Nelson said. “The importance of this became even clearer when I learned that 80 percent of parents with a special-needs child end up divorced.”

Wanda Felty, parent of a child with multiple disabilities, said the cost of care could be just $10 per hour, providing significant savings compared to using a third-party provider.

“House Bill 3393 would help families obtain direct-care staff at a much lower rate, stretching dollars further and potentially allowing more families to come off the waiting list,” Felty said. “It will allow a better use of limited state dollars and support a greater number of families at the same price.”

Felty noted there are over 5,000 people on the waiting list for the home- and community-based services and some have been on the list for more than five years.

“This plan will not increase costs for the state; it will expand services for Oklahomans with special needs,” Felty said.

Nelson noted he wanted this legislation to provide a benefit to all children with autism and other special needs.

“I wanted families to be able to use both education and DHS streams of money in concert to get the most complete and robust set of services and education possible for their child,” said Nelson.

The 2010 legislative session will convene Feb. 1.

Also see:

• KTOK Morning Show Discusses Developmental Disabilities, House Bill 3393
• Parents of special-needs children should have greater choice and control

Oklahoma State Representative Jason Nelson serves the 87th House District in Northwest Oklahoma City. Nelson, a Republican, was elected November 4, 2008.

 

Christian Father Faces Jail for Taking Daughter to Church

Chicago, IL — A father from the Midwest who knew he could be accused of defying a court order barring him from taking his daughter to church took her anyway — and now he is facing contempt of court charges and jail.

Thirty-five-year-old Joseph Reyes, holding his 3-year-old in his arms, walked into Holy Name Cathedral on January 17. A news crew videotaped the act of defiance.

“I have been ordered by a judge not to expose my daughter to anything non-Judaism,” Reyes told a news reporter. “But I am taking her to hear the teachings of perhaps the most prominent Jewish Rabbi in the history of this great planet of ours. I can’t think of anything more Jewish than that.”

The prominent Jewish Rabbi that Reyes referenced was Jesus Christ.

Just before Christmas, a judge issued a temporary restraining order specifically barring Reyes from exposing his daughter to any religion other than Judaism after Reyes had his daughter Baptized without the knowledge of his estranged Jewish wife.

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