News Blogs

Who needs T.V. News, Newspapers and Radio News? “Not I!” says the happy human living in the New World.

T.V. and radio News got you down? On-line current events and News blogs make being informed a much more enjoyable experience. For many the News on television has become a trying time of the day. Focused mainly on negative events, you may have to wait through the whole program just to hear the one story you were waiting for. If you miss the 6:00 p.m. show, waiting until the late night segment can be a real drag, especially if you’ve got a lot to do, or have to wake up early the next morning.

My friends, there is an answer to this problem: News blogs or on-line current events. You can find all of your favorite broadcasters (E.g.: CNN, BBC) on the Internet, getting up-to-date information at any time of the day or night. You can even read personal journal entries written by multiple correspondents out in the field reporting on several different stories down to the current minute. Instead of hearing all News from one voice (often an irritating one), now you can read different human opinions straight from the scene of interest.

Often News on-line has a section called “themes” which allows the reader to only hear about the specific areas that interest them. No more waiting through several wars to get to the positive story about the current medical breakthrough that could mean a cure for disease, or the technological idea that might mean the end to extreme pollution levels. Like a newspaper, you can go straight to the “jobs” theme and search through all the current employment vacancies available. If you are obsessed with the negative, themes such as “Disaster and Tragedy” and “Crime and Punishment are still readily accessible.

As the News is now on the Internet it has also become an interactive experience in numerous ways. First of all now you can send News stories straight to the News companies yourself! If the story is deemed worthwhile and verifiable, you may even be published. This is also the case with photographers who have pictures of important events. It really means anyone can become a part of the action as a freelance consultant. Some News on-line have “witness” sections where you can tell your story if you happen to have been in the right place at the right time. This option means that we can hear many different views on contentious issues giving a wider perspective to the ‘big picture’.

Some News sites also have interactive sites within. For example, on the BBC News Blog there is a learning site (BBCi Learning) that involves interactive activities and over half a million pages of factual information and resources available for children, adolescents, and adults. There are competitions and all sorts of games to help educate people in any and every area of interest imaginable.

Another great aspect of these on-line News sites is the ability to access archival information. You can watch video and listen to audio recordings of famous historical stories right on the computer. If the day is Feb.3, you can read articles from Feb.3’s from fifty years ago. Looking up any date and year recorded is as easy as pushing a few buttons.

Some services have subscriptions where instead of looking up the website, the News you want is sent straight to your email. Being in the know, and being in the now, has never been such an objective, enjoyable, and simplistic experience as in the 21st century. Partaking in a new perspective on life is what on-line current events and News Blogs are all about.

To Blog or Not to Blog...

“To Blog or not to Blog…”

Terry Dashner………………………….Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013

It’s entitled, Blog {Understanding The Information Reformation That’s Changing Your World} (Nelson Books 2007). His name is Hugh Hewitt, and he’s written something worth reading, especially if you’re interested in impact. Allow me to continue.

Listen to this: “Since HughHewitt.com was launched in early 2002, more than ten million people have visited his site (seven million just since the beginning of 2007). ‘Why does this visitor traffic matter?’ asks Hewitt. ‘People’s attentions are up for grabs. If you depend upon the steady trust of others, suddenly you have an audience waiting to hear from you.’ The race is underway, though, to gain mindspace and to be part of readers’ habits. If your organization has not established itself in blogosphere, now is the time to move ahead, but quickly!”

I agree. God has provided a powerful weapon in our arsenal of faith. Disseminating words is powerful. And when the words disseminated are wise and informative, they become a mighty gun against the forces of ignorance, prejudice, foolishness, stupidity, immaturity… (Pardon me. I got carried away). Many of you have heard me preach. Some of you have heard me say that the most powerful medium to change the hearts of men has been, and will always be—the written and disseminated word. Why do I say that? Because it is true, and I like speaking truth. I sleep better at night, having spoken truth throughout the daytime.

The church has gotten it wrong. It isn’t the western televangelist that’s going to win the Muslim to Jesus Christ. A testimony of a Muslim turning to Jesus, written down on a leaflet or pamphlet and disseminate widely will. Don’t get me wrong. There are some good TV evangelists who love God and do a good work for the church; however, the medium of television is too expensive, too impractical to win the world for Jesus. Missionaries on the ground and armed with videos, pamphlets, and medicine will do the “greater works.” (I know I’m opinionated; but at 50 I’ve earned the right. If it’s too much for you, use the delete key that God gave your computer.)

Mr. Hewitt did a wonderful job telling the story of Martin Luther, the great Reformer, and how his writings—widely disseminated because of the newly invented movable type—changed the world. He did a remarkable feat in sharing his vision of the future for disseminating information around the world via the Blogger. I recommend you read his book today and start blogging tomorrow.

The Old Testament prophet Daniel spoke of a day when knowledge would increase, explode on the scene as it were. The Apostle Paul spoke of a day when people would run “to and fro” looking for something new. I understand these remarks in a good way. Today is a day that people want good, wholesome, challenging, well researched, information. I believe today is the day for believers everywhere to unit and Blog. Let’s Blog them into the Kingdom of righteousness!

Remember, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1.

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming soon. But until He does, get the word out!

Pastor Tdash

About the Author

Pastors a small church in Broken Arrow, OK.

Do You Need Help Adding RSS Feeds To Your Blogger?

It’s really easy and here is how you can do it:

Log into your blogger account

Go to "settings"

Go to "site feed"

Copy the "site feed url"

Then go to www.feedburner.com

Scroll down to "try feedburner today" and paste your "site feed url" and then click next. You'll be at "select services" There are lots of options on that page and you can look through them all, but to get to the feeds you need to go to the bottom of that page and click on "next".

Then you can log in or sign up. It's free to sign up. After you fill in your info then click and that page will allow you to "activate your feed". Click on that and then click on "launch your publicity tools" and then click on "chicklet chooser". Then you have many options. I personally always choose the “my yahoo”, “my msn”, “newsgator” and “xml”. Click on each one and you'll see the code you need to grab. You have to do it for each one.

Then just go back to your template and put it in. You're set. As you can see there are other different things you can do too. So look around in there and check them all out.

But that is just the very basics of getting a feed up. Now, when you get that feed added let me know so I can add you to my personal “my yahoo” page!