Tag Archives: Christmas

Giving Or Getting? Do These Kids Have the Answer?

In Atlanta, 83% of the children that go to the boys and girls club come from low income families. Many of these children live where most homes cannot even afford a Christmas tree. Many of these kids were asked one of the most difficult questions when UPtv decided to talk to them about their Christmas wishes.

As each child spoke of the thing they wanted the most, their eyes sparkled with the magic that children feel this time of year. They described the dream of that most special gift that they just might, despite all odds, receive.

There were many children that UPtv spoke to. Beautiful kids such as Destiny, Miracle, Austin and Brooke. Each made their wish. For example:a computer, a barbie doll house, an Xbox system. And then they were asked about their families. What would their Mom like as a present? Or their Dad? Or the whole family? A new television, a ring for my Mom, a watch for my Dad, a christmas tree and a necklace were some of the wonderful presents these children imagined.

Two days later UPtv sat these children down again and set before them the gift they had wanted so badly. They also presented the gift that they would want to give to their family, Mom or Dad. As their eyes grew wide, they were offered the chance to take home one of the gifts. Either the one for themselves or the one for their parent or family.

Their young faces told the story of how very difficult this choice was. Yet within mere moments, without hesitation, they each picked the gift that they would love to give. When asked why they picked to give a present instead of get one, Miracle told UPtv. “If I get a laptop, then my mom will lose something. She’s my Mom and she’s special!” In each case, the children picked a gift for giving saying that toys are not important, but making those they love happy, giving back to them for all they have done, means the most of all.

After unselfishly giving up their gifts, UPtv decided to give up a few too and happily gave the children the present that was intended for them as well. The thankfulness, the joy and the smiles of these wonderful kids is what makes the magic of Christmastime.

In a world so full of negativity and injustice. At a time where we despair over the future. It is the children who see our sacrifice and know…truly, how to give.

You can see for yourself this wonderful presentation on UPtv: “The Other Christmas Gift,” by watching the video below:

Brunei Bans Public Christmas Celebrations

If you’re planning to celebrate Christmas in Brunei, you could get a five-year prison sentence and a hefty fine.

According to multiple published reports, the predominantly Islamic nation has banned public celebrations of the holiday amid fears that it could damage the faith of the Muslims who live there.

The Brunei Times published a statement from Brunei’s Ministry of Religious Affairs saying that non-Muslims are free to celebrate Christmas privately “among their community,” but they can’t disclose their celebrations or display them to Muslims. Doing so can be viewed as an illegal “propagation of religions other than Islam.”

It’s also illegal for a Muslim to imitate customs of other religions, according to the statement. A Muslim who wears a Santa hat or a Santa suit could be arrested.

British newspaper The Independent reported anyone who violates Brunei’s Christmas laws could be handed a five-year prison sentence and/or a fine of $20,000.

Brunei, on the island of Borneo, introduced the restrictions last year after Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah implemented the controversial, religiously inspired Sharia penal law system. Violating certain laws can prompt punishments like stoning, whipping and dismemberment, drawing widespread criticism.

About 430,000 people live in Brunei, according to data released by the CIA. Islam is the nation’s official religion. About 79 percent of Brunei’s residents are Muslim and 9 percent are Christian.

This month, local religious leaders have warned Muslims in Brunei not to celebrate Christmas.

According to The Borneo Bulletin, imams said “doing anything that amounts to respecting their religion” – referring to Christianity – violates Islamic beliefs. The imams cautioned against doing things like putting up holiday decorations, singing Christmas carols or even lighting candles “as it could affect our Islamic faith.”

The statement from Brunei’s Ministry of Religious Affairs said that enforcement officials visited multiple businesses last year that “publicly displayed Christmas decorations.” It did not say if anyone was punished.

The nation wasn’t alone in imposing restrictions on Christmas celebrations.

According to a report in New Vision, a Uganda newspaper, the government in Somalia banned celebrating Christmas and the New Year in the nation’s capital. Officials gave reasons similar to Brunei’s decision, saying the celebrations could damage Islamic faith – despite the fact that the country is 99 percent Muslim.

New Vision reported Somali religious officials are worried that Christmas celebrations might incite the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to perform deadly attacks.

Some people who live in countries where Christmas celebrations have been restricted are sharing photos of their Christmas trees on social media using the hashtag #MyTreedom.

A Facebook page devoted to the cause had more than 27,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon, and was displaying images purported to be from countries like Iraq, Nigeria and Syria.

Tornado Outbreak Could Disrupt Holiday Travel for Many

Weather experts are warning there’s a chance for a tornado outbreak this week.

The Weather Channel forecasts potent thunderstorms with the ability to generate tornadoes, damaging hail and high winds are expected to develop in the southern United States over the next couple of days. Meteorologists say that tornadoes are most likely to occur on Wednesday.

The Weather Channel uses its own index called TOR:CON to calculate the risk of a tornado at any given time in a specified area. The channel’s severe weather experts predict that there’s a 50 percent chance of tornadoes occurring within a 50-mile radius of any location in Mississippi, Louisiana, western Tennessee, eastern Arkansas and eastern Texas on Wednesday. The experts also warned there’s a chance — albeit a lesser one — of a tornado outside those boundaries.

The National Weather Service had yet to issue any tornado warnings or advisories on Tuesday.

If the forecasts pan out, the thunderstorms and tornadoes could disrupt many Christmas travel plans. Fox News reported that Dec. 23 is traditionally one of the year’s busiest days for air travel, and previous AAA research has indicated the day is also one of the most perilous times to drive.

This year, AAA predicts that a record 100.5 million Americans will make a journey of at least 50 miles between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3. More than 90 percent of them are expected to drive.

Scientists Will Have Rare Chance to Study Asteroid on Christmas Eve

A large asteroid is projected to approach Earth on Christmas Eve, getting close enough that scientists will be able to study it but not close enough that it will have any effect on the planet.

According to a blog post on NASA’s website, the 2003 SD220 asteroid will be about 6.7 million miles away from Earth when it passes by later this month. That’s 28 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. NASA says it will be able to use radar to determine the object’s mass, as well as perform other scientific studies, but the asteroid isn’t expected to be any danger to Earth.

Over the summer, rumors swirled on the Internet saying that an asteroid was going to impact earth some time in September. In a statement at the time, NASA said every known comet and potentially hazardous asteroid has a less than .01 percent chance of hitting Earth before 2115.

“There is no existing evidence that an asteroid or any other celestial object is on a trajectory that will impact Earth,” Paul Chodas, who heads NASA’s Near-Earth Object office, said in a statement at the time. “In fact, not a single one of the known objects has any credible chance of hitting our planet over the next century.” Scientists discovered 2003 SD220 back in 2003.

The asteroid was originally thought to be .8 miles wide, but NASA says the latest observations indicate the asteroid is closer to half that size. While there are some published reports saying that 2003 SD220 will be close enough to trigger volcanoes or earthquakes, even without hitting Earth, though astronomy website EarthSky.org declared they are “misleading and incorrect.”

Writing for the website, Eddie Irizarry of the Astronomical Society of the Caribbean said there isn’t any scientific evidence suggesting asteroids can lead to seismic activity simply from a fly-by. That would be different if the asteroid hit Earth, he wrote, but “that clearly will not be the case.”

News agency UPI reported that another asteroid passed much closer to Earth on Halloween, coming within about 310,000 miles of the planet, and that didn’t lead to any adverse effects.

Still, NASA is savoring the opportunity to study the asteroid to learn more about its structure. It will only be close enough for radar detection five times in the next 12 years, according to the blog post. That includes a scheduled 2018 fly-by when it’ll be about 1.7 million miles away.

White Christmas? Try A Hot One Instead

If you’re dreaming of a White Christmas, you might get a hot one instead.

Temperatures are expected to be warmer than usual across most of the United States this Christmas, according to forecast maps released this week by the National Weather Service.

Meteorologists are all but guaranteeing it’ll be hotter than usual in the eastern United States, placing the chance that temperatures will be above their historical averages above 90 percent.

The probability of above-average temperatures decreases to about 33 percent the further you travel west, but even states in the Great Plains are expected to see a hotter Christmas than usual.

The only states expected to see cooler-than-usual Christmases are Alaska, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Arizona, as well as parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. Every other state is expected to see average or above-average temperatures.

That’s in line with what the United States has seen for much of December.

According to the National Climate Data Center, more than 2,300 daily high temperature records have been tied or broken through the first 16 days of December. If these new forecasts pan out, that means there’s a chance this Christmas could be the hottest one many people have ever seen.

The forecasts come at a time when a strong El Niño is present in the Pacific Ocean.

Weather experts have noted that this year’s El Niño is on track to be one of the three strongest in the past 65 years. The phenomenon occurs when part of the ocean is abnormally warm, setting off a ripple effect that brings atypical and sometimes extreme weather to all corners of the world.

Christmas Cards Arrive En Masse After Arson Survivor’s Wish Goes Viral

An 8-year-old girl who lost her father and three siblings in an arson fire two years ago is receiving Christmas cards from around the world this year after a Facebook post went viral.

Sa’fyre Terry was the only survivor of a May 2013 blaze in Schenectady, New York, that killed her father, sister and two brothers. Family friends say Terry suffered burns on more than 75 percent of her body and had her right hand and left foot amputated as a result of her injuries.

Last week, a family friend posted a picture of Terry to Facebook, showing the girl standing next to a tree-shaped Christmas card holder. The friend, Kevin Clark, wondered how many people would send a card to Terry, who simply wanted to receive enough cards to fill up her tree.

She’s probably going to need a bigger tree.

Clark’s post has been shared more than 25,000 times, and Terry’s story been covered by many national media outlets, including CNN, The Today Show, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post and People Magazine. Pro wrestler Hulk Hogan shared Terry’s wish on his Facebook page, which has about 5 million likes. Even publications in England were reporting the story.

Family friends had set up a fundraising page on youcaring.com to help Terry’s caregivers with expenses. The page had a goal of $15,000, but had raised more than $155,000 as of Wednesday.

The address to mail Christmas cards is P.O. Box 6126, Schenectady, NY 12306.

The fundraiser page can be accessed through this link.

Morningside Celebrates Community Birthday Party for Jesus

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as Morningside opened their hearts for the 4th annual Christmas Community Outreach Birthday Party for Jesus! Families from all over the community came to enjoy and celebrate together with the staff and volunteers of Morningside Church!

On Saturday December 5th, Jim and Lori Bakker, Marie Bakker, Zach Drew and Sasha Voltz welcomed hundreds of families to Grace Street to give back to the community. As Tammy Sue Bakker and the Morningside band joyfully brought Christmas to life with all of our Christmas favorites, the smell of pancakes and a full delicious breakfast wafted through the air. Families joined together to savor their meal and remember that Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus.

A multitude of gifts were raffled off for children as well as adults. The smiles of boys and girls as they picked out a new bike or toy, hugged Santa and danced to the music is what inspires Morningside and the Jim Bakker Show to put on this huge event together each year.

For families who are in need, the opportunity to provide gifts for their families and feel the presence and love of God, as they pick out items they could never have provided on their own brings a peace to their spirit that the volunteers and staff are grateful to share.

This ministry is incredibly blessed by our community and this small of way of giving back could never be enough to thank you.

Happy Birthday Jesus! And a Very Merry Christmas from Jim and Lori Bakker and everyone here at Morningside!

Christian Surfers Save Family’s Life on Christmas Day

A group of Christian surfers in New Zealand say that God placed them in the perfect position to be His hands and feet to a family that faced death on Christmas Day.

The five members of the North Shore Christian Surfers Group saved the lives of a mother and her two teenage sons who caught in a rip tide off the shore of a beach an hour west of Auckland.

The woman and her sons had almost drowned when someone on the beach screamed to the five men to help.  They quickly swam with their boards to the victims who were floundering about 30 yards offshore.  The group placed the three victims across their five boards and slowly worked their way to shore.

“They were pretty exhausted and pretty far out, and weren’t making any progress towards land,” group member Darren Celliers said. “It was pretty freaky.”

“The younger brother was just freaking out. He was scared and in shock,” Celliers added. “We spent the first few minutes trying to calm him down and explain that he was going to be all right.”

The New Zealand Herald reported five drownings connected to vicious rip tides in the last week.

Newsweek Publishes Hit Piece On Christians

A disgraced journalist has published a piece smearing Christians that Newsweek has run on the cover of their magazine at Christmas.

The article, called “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin”, was written by Kurt Eichenwald, a reporter who left the New York Times shortly before it was discovered he had given thousands of dollars to a source for a story he had written on child pornography.  In the piece, Eichenwald smears Christians who follow Scripture.

“They are God’s frauds, cafeteria Christians who pick and choose which Bible verses they heed with less care than they exercise in selecting side orders for lunch,” Eichenwald wrote. “They are joined by religious rationalizers—fundamentalists who, unable to find Scripture supporting their biases and beliefs, twist phrases and modify translations to prove they are honoring the Bible’s word.”

Christian leaders across the country immediately responded to the hit piece timed to hit shelves during one of the most holy times of the year for Christians.

“Newsweek’s cover story is exactly what happens when a writer fueled by open antipathy to evangelical Christianity tries to throw every argument he can think of against the Bible and its authority,” Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler wrote in an article entitled “Newsweek on the Bible: So Misrepresented It’s a Sin.” Oddly enough, Kurt Eichenwald’s attack on evangelical Christianity would likely be a measure more effective had he left out the personal invective that opens his essay and appears pervasively. He has an axe to grind, and grind he does.”

“But the authority of the Bible is not the victim of the grinding. To the contrary, this article is likely to do far more damage to Newsweek in its sad new reality,” Mohler continued. “To take advantage of Newsweek’s title—it so misrepresents the truth, it’s a sin.”

South Carolina Sheriff Fulfills Pennsylvania Boy’s Dream

The Christmas holiday became a little more special for a Pennsylvania boy who thought his dream of learning to be a hunter had ended with a mix-up.

Alex Collins lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his mother Leslie.  Leslie is a single mother who has been ill and is not able to take her son to the hunter’s education classes let alone take him in the woods to hunt.

Alex and his mother heard about a program launched by the Sheriff of Chester County, South Carolina where the Sheriff would take young men and teach them how to become hunters.  The report only said Chester County, so Alex mistakenly thought it was Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Alex and his mother dropped off letters at the Chester County, Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Department asking for Alex to be a part of the program.

Alex was crushed when he found out about the mix-up.

That’s when Chester County, PA Sheriff Carolyn Welch contacted Alex Underwood, Sheriff of Chester County, South Carolina.

The Monday after Christmas, Alex was flown to Chester, South Carolina by Underwood who took the boy to learn how to be a hunter.  He bought him all the gear he needs to go into the woods and bag a deer.

The two Sheriffs and deputies of both departments chipped in to send the boy on the trip.

“People read the story and it just took off,” Underwood told the Herald. “Everybody wanted to make sure Little A (Alex) was taken care of, and I want the whole country to know that we are going to show Little A the best hunting and fishing trip anybody ever had.”

Fox News reports that Sheriff Underwood said Alex is going to be taken to a “secret hunting spot” that is held so closely by sheriff’s department employees that Alex has to promise not to tell anyone how to find it.