TheBellSite

According to the U.S. Dept. of State

“Taiwan has an area of 13,800 square miles and a population of 23 million. According to the 2006 Government Information Office Yearbook, the Religious Affairs Section of the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) estimated that 35 percent of the population considers itself Buddhist and 33 percent Taoist. While the overwhelming majority of religious adherents are categorized as either Buddhist or Taoist, many adherents consider themselves to be both Buddhist and Taoist.”

see the complete Taiwan religious freedom report via U.S. Department of State.

The State Department’s 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom for all countries can be found here.

Typhoon Fanapi is knocking on our door. Looks like the rain will start up soon and the wind should not be very far behind. Why do typhoons seem to usually hit the hardest on the weekends? ? ? No typhoon day?

On this day a few years ago my bride, the love of my life, was born.
Today we’ll celebrate. Happy Birthday Fran!
FB bday10sm

The Saturday before Easter a new church was born in Taipei. Its name is:

The last Saturday of May (Memorial Day Weekend) we had a church-wide fellowship cook out supper. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and (almost) all the trimmings. Good food, fellowship, music, and preaching. Here are a few pictures click one to see it larger:

See all our online photos here

At Flickr there are some photos that are hidden from the public – ask to be a friend.

Below you’ll find a link to an article that says some good things.

“Dr. James Dobson’s influential conservative Christian organization, Focus on the Family, is promoting StandforChristmas.com, a Web site that helps shoppers rank “Christmas-friendly” retailers (most friendly: Bass Pro Shops; least friendly: American Eagle Outfitters). The site reminds visitors that retailers “want your patronage and your gift-shopping dollars” and then asks, “but do they openly recognize Christmas?”

Sadly, both approaches precisely miss the point of this sacred and beautiful holiday.

It makes zero sense to recruit retailers in this crusade when consumerism is the reason why Christmas has morphed into a hollow shopping ritual that, come January, leaves too many families with debt hangovers and an empty feeling inside. Demanding that store clerks cheerily proclaim “Merry Christmas” as they ring up your power tools and iPod does precious little to put the Christ-child back in Christmas.”

Christians To Blame For Secular Christmas – ParentDish.

“But Christmas starts with us. In our hearts. In our homes. And in a very simple decision to reclaim the silence, joy, and quiet simplicity of that first Christmas in Bethlehem when God chose to speak to mankind in the small cry of a newborn baby.”

It’s been a while for a foto Friday but this was too good to pass up.
Last night we went to one of our favorite “supermarkets” to pick up a few things and I happened to have my camera with me. Entering the store you pass many signs of all types. Here are a couple that you will not see in Texas

be yond belief

fearless frolicing

Not living in the USA I didn’t hear about this TV show until now.
ABC Nightline did a series on the 10 Commandments.

Here’s a clip from the 2nd show – 2nd commandment – Exodus 20:4-5

Or watch it on Mars Hill Church’s website: Mars Hill Church.

The entire Nightline series can be found HERE.

I wonder if I could ask for you help on a couple of things?

Pray for me (Jackie) over the weekend as I prepare a 50 minute talk for BSF over John chapter 2.
Poke around TheBellSite blog and see if you find anything broken. We’ve had a trying time over the last two weeks with the companies that have hosted the blog. The first went out of business and then the next one just didn’t seem to like us . We are on the 3rd host in as many weeks and so far it looks pretty good.
If you find anything out of the ordinary please let me know