Almost one million people are displaced as a result of the fires, and the good news is that the churches here in this area are helping and as a result there are more than enough people.

For local information visit OC Register

Yesterday Joe Carter over at Evangelical Outpost blogged about his impressions of the Washington Briefing, and what was interesting about Joe’s commentary is that he realized that right wing bloggers seem to be “out of touch” with conservatives in America. The gist of his post was explaining that popular conservative and Christian bloggers avoid the subjects that matter most to real conservatives. Namely, family, life issue, marriage and taxes.

I giggled as I read his post because I’ve known this for a long time. Many of the popular Christian bloggers aren’t really interested in talking about the homosexual agenda or even the legislation that is coming against our families. And for some bloggers all they want to do is get linked to the top dogs in the blogosphere so that they will be noticed. I even mentioned last year at the second annual GodBlogCon that Christians can make more of an impact in the blogworld, if they would just leave their “EGO’S” behind.

The problem though is that NZ Bear made the “ECO”system a fun thing that egomaniacs (which most bloggers are) just HAVE to be apart of. Admittedly, it was a brilliant idea, but sadly, the blogosphere game often distracts from a real ministry that we can have.

And of course, what I said last year at the GodBlogCon fell pretty much on deaf ears. Despite the fact that I run a blog on Christian persecution that receives between 600-700 visitors a day on average.

With that said, I was very interested in Randy Thomas’ response to what he called “wise analysis” by Joe Carter concerning why Christian bloggers don’t hit issues like homosexuality very often. While I would disagree with Randy on his view of Joe offering a “wise analysis”, because it just seems like he’s kissing up to Joe (just my opinion), I do feel his frustration when he talks about how few top bloggers fail to address issues of sexuality on their blogs.

I think there are few reasons for this. First, I think that many conservatives and even some Christians, don’t see homosexuality as a sin or as a threat to marriage, family or society. The reason they don’t see it is because they haven’t taken the time - or had the need - to follow the militant homosexual agenda.

The second reason I think bloggers shy away from the debate is because they do not want to be vilified, have their lives or careers threatened , or be a victim of character assassination. Randy and his boss Alan Chambers understand this because they are on the end of that type of harassment daily. I also understand it because I have also been threatened.

The third reason I think bloggers fail to address this issue is because it takes time to learn the arguments and policy around this sin. It’s amazing because homosexuality is just that - a sin - and yet the forces that promote this sin, have made it a lifestyle, a policy issue, a “cause” or a “right”. It’s ridiculous.

And the last reason, among many other reasons I could list, is that I think that people allow fear to control their lives. Rather than stand for principle and truth, they run and hide behind causes that do not cost them anything.

I think Randy Thomas and Alan Chambers do good work. They have a hard calling and aren’t always appreciated for what they do stand for. I also think it’s easier for them because they have been impacted personally by the issue, and often people who have not been touched by the issue don’t know how to respond.

And as a result, I think that this is a anemic issue in the blogosphere. And while I would agree that not all bloggers should address this issue, I would say that those who can because they understand what’s at stake - should.

I lost a half brother to AIDS who was gay. I also know how the public policy is ruining families. I see it impacting children every week and I see most of the Church, including many pastors, asleep concerning the issue. It’s time to wake up and take a stand.

So to Randy and the others who take time to address these issues on your blogs - Kudos. To those like Joe and others who don’t focus on it as much - you have a chance to lead others where it’s uncomfortable. I pray you do.

Those of us who live in Southern California are under a major emergency alert. And I’m sure most of you know that most of Southern California is literally on fire. I live in Orange County and a large part of my county is on fire, and it’s no fun.

This morning I went to the local elementary school I work at part time and watched as the principal of the school did mandatory inside recess. The children were walking in a line to the auditorium with their shirts covering their mouths and noses because the ash in the air was so thick. Some kids didn’t even come to school because the air quality is so bad out here.

I also have been listening to a lot of local news which cable news is not covering and the situation out here is not good. This is becoming the worst fire in modern day history in this area. Some local news reports were also speculating that many of the fires were due to arson - which makes this situation even more horrible.

The other thing is that the temperature is around 100 degrees inland where I am. Which means that it’s a lot higher where the fires are. It’s miserable. But there is not much we can do about the heat.

I would ask that people who believe in God (not you atheists who think you’re god) just pray for rain, for the winds to stop blowing and most importantly for the families who have lost their homes, and property as well as those families who have lost loved ones.

It will be a few days before this situation will be under control, and so we’ve got some time before this situation will clear.

Many “Evangelical” Christians are supporting Romney for President which is awful because Mitt Romney cannot be trusted. Here is Romney discussing his pro-choice views from only a few years ago. He said he will do whatever it takes to protect a woman’s choice to kill their baby.

Mitt Romney’s ballot-box stuffing

Posted: October 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

There are now two major polls that put Gov. Mike Huckabee in a 5-to-1
lead among values voters: the Values Voter Presidential Debate and the
Values Voter Summit.

Among summit attendees, who paid the registration, airfare and accommodations, and actually heard
the candidates’ speeches, Gov. Huckabee won more votes than all the
other candidates combined – including Mitt Romney. Huckabee earned 51
percent of the vote compared to Romney’s 10 percent, Fred Thompson’s 8
percent and Tom Tancredo’s 7 percent.

Efforts to try and skew the results of the Internet poll, such
as the e-mail sent by Mark DeMoss (now on the Romney campaign),
complete with a link and instructions to stack it, gained Romney a .5
percent edge for his prominently announced "win." By the way, when that
announcement was made following fanfare, including a drum roll, the
audience (who were 5-to-1 Huckabee supporters) sat stunned. Had they
announced the results of the real grass-roots activists who actually attended the event, we would have heard explosive applause instead of the sound of crickets and the clapping of a few Romney shills.

For those who missed the event, let me give you a glimpse into what was said.

(Column continues below)

I’ll summarize Rudy Giuliani’s speech with these words:  "You’ll always know where I stand."  Yeah, against us.  That’s why, Mayor Giuliani, you won’t be getting our vote.

Gov. Mitt Romney was introduced by Jay Sekulow with the words:
"I know his judicial philosophy." Yeah, so do I. On May 4, 2005, after
his supposed conversion (on every issue), then Gov. Mitt Romney
issued a press release touting the homosexual credentials of his
appointee to the Wrentham District Court: Stephen Abany "has served on
the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar
Association." Huh?  That doesn’t look like a "Roberts or Alito" to me.

Actions are what you believe, and when Romney appointed judges as governor, he "passed over GOP lawyers
for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead
tapping registered Democrats or independents – including two gay
lawyers who have supported expanded same-sex rights." Those are the kind of judges we can expect from Romney.

He said he’d be a pro-life president "just like I was a pro-life governor." This guy doesn’t know when to quit.  Watch for yourself what kind of governor he was.

Then he promoted his Massachusetts Health Care as a model for the nation – that’s the one that had abortion as a "health care benefit."

Then Romney, who sat on the Marriot board while they pumped the
sewage of pornography into hotel rooms, said he had a "one strike and
you’re out" policy on pornography – placing an "ankle bracelet for
life" on those responsible. I’m not sure if he applies that policy to
himself; he didn’t lift his pants leg.

He also mentioned Dr. Dobson twice in his speech in an effort
to draw either an endorsement or silence, both of which would benefit
him. He even mentioned homeschoolers, but I’m pretty sure it won’t
impact Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association; he’s been for Huckabee for months.

Fred Thompson also spoke and drew applause when he said he would
spend the first hour in the Oval Office in prayer for wisdom. That’s
great coming from a guy that won’t even go to church unless his mother
makes him. He also said if state legislatures want to redefine marriage
like California just did (stopped only by a veto), "so be it." McCain
also negotiated the non-negotiable of marriage and voted against the
Marriage Protection Act. If abandoning our values cost them votes, I
say, "so be it."

Sen. Sam Brownback also spoke, and I have to say he is a good
man and was my first choice. He remains our best friend in the Senate,
but cosponsoring S. 2611, the Kennedy-McCain amnesty bill, killed his
candidacy. I was among the many who called his office to offer counsel
about not rewarding those who break our laws with their first step into
our country. He didn’t listen, and it cost him the race. There is a
lesson there for all those watching. Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo
understand that best, but don’t appear to be gaining any traction
nationally.

The clear winner was Gov. Mike Huckabee who remarked that he comes "from us rather than to us."  He told the group he sings from his heart, and doesn’t "just lip-sync the words."

He spoke of the threat of Islamofascism, and he’s right – it
shouldn’t be easier to cross our border illegally than for us to get on
an airplane in our own hometown. He said "no" to amnesty and sanctuary
cities. He said we must secure the border – and "do it now." Sounds
like he’s coming along.

Huckabee also talked against the outsourcing of jobs to China
and being free of our dependence on oil from Saudi Arabia within 10
years. He spoke against U.N. treaties like the "Rights of the Child,"
which would mandate abortion, and the "Law of the Sea," which
surrenders our ocean’s riches to U.N. control. Almost as if he’d been
listening to Phyllis Schlafly speeches.

He also held firm to what he called the "non-negotiables" of
life and marriage and encouraged attendees not to spell G-O-D as the
G-O-P.

We don’t have the luxury to sit back and wait to see what
happens without us. Too much is at stake. Bypass the "Fear Tier" who
have negotiated the non-negotiables of life and marriage and turn to
the candidate from the pro-family tier who has the best chance of
winning: Mike Huckabee. The good news is now we don’t have to choose
between a pro-life, pro-marriage candidate and a "tier one" candidate
"who can win." Huckabee just became both.  Now we just need to unite behind him.