ShopFaithfully.com Launches Virtual Shopping Mall That Helps Churches and Christian Charities Raise Contributions

Note: What can I say? I think this concept is inspired and just plain wonderful!!

/PRNewswire/ -- ShopFaithfully.com announced today that it has released the latest on-line "virtual mall" for people who want to support their Church or favorite Christian Charity. During these tough economic times, this site is the answer to a challenge that Churches and Christian Charities continue to experience as direct donations significantly decrease, while individuals see their savings and investment portfolios severely affected by the troubled financial markets. ShopFaithfully.com provides a solution for Christian shoppers to give contributions in addition to their normal tithing.

Working with leading on-line retailers like Wal-Mart, Buy.com, Family Christian Stores, ToysRus.com, Office Depot, Overstock.com, and iTunes, ShopFaithfully.com has created an environment of giving through shopper's everyday on-line purchases. ShopFaithfully.com gives back a percentage of every qualified purchase directly to the shopper's chosen Church or Christian Charity. Shoppers do not have to make a direct donation and pricing is the same or better than if they went directly to the retailers. This provides the shoppers a one-stop shop opportunity that can save consumers time and money in a very charitable way.

Shoppers can allocate their donations to one of the Christian Charitable Partners, or they can submit their own Church or Christian Charity to be added. The site's most popular feature is the capability to submit a Church or Christian Charity for approval. The submittal can be made by the Church, the Christian Charity, or the shopper. Once approved, shoppers can then select that Charitable organization as their charity of choice. Up to 20% of every qualified purchase they make will be donated directly to their chosen charity. This provides an additional revenue stream that supplements their organization's tithes, offerings, donations, and fundraising programs.

Since shoppers are using the web more than ever to do their everyday shopping and to look for gift ideas, ShopFaithfully.com has partnered with hundreds of leading on-line retailers offering over 10 million products to choose from. In an anticipation of strong support by the Christian Community, ShopFaithfully.com has increased the site's capacity and has prepared a migration path that will support future growth. With an estimated 50 million on-line Christian Shoppers and $240 billion spent through on-line shopping annually, ShopFaithfully.com hopes to reach $8 million annually in donations to Churches and Christian Charities within the next 3-5 years.

Quack, Quack- Duck the Questions

All I can say is if you walk like a crooked duck, quack like a crooked duck, and look like a crooked duck----

chances are you or your staff are!

Ill Fated in Illinois

The arrest of the Illinois governor with the allegations of massive corruption has got to shake Illinois democrats to the core. Just today, more names are being dropped and memories are fading. Could it be a political type of dementia?

Axelrod now says he was "mistaken" when he said back in late November that he KNEW Barack Obama and the governor had talked about the senator's seat. You know, if his memory is that bad for conversations reportedly held two weeks ago, what else has he been wrong about?

And now, within the last hour or so, the attorney for Jesse Jackson, Jr says he assumes that Jackson is Senate Candidate #5. Jackson has been quick to jump on the bandwagon that no one spoke with his authority when someone supposedly offered large sums of money to the governor.

What's the real story? What is the truth? Perhaps a little truth serum could help these politicians? I find it fascinating that these high profile men who are surrounded all day with advisors just don't know a thing. And they are going to run the country? With their heads in the sand?

Kinda makes one wonder how ill is Illinois? Or how much noise is being stifled.

But me? Hey, I must be mistaken.....

Food for Thought--- 7 Ups

This came to me from a cousin. I liked it so here it is --

The 7 Ups!

1. Wake Up !!
Decide to have a good day.
'This is the day the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be
glad in it.'
Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
'The Lord does not look at the things man looks
at.
Man looks at outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the
heart.'
I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth,
so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
'He who guards
20his lips guards his soul.'
Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!
. . . for what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
'Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper
time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good...'
Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!
. . to the Lord.
'I can do everything through Christ who
strengthens me'.
Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!
. . for something higher.
'Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not
unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will
direct your path.'
Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up !!
. . your Prayers.
'Do not worry about anything; instead
PRAY ABOUT
EVERYTHING.'
Philippians 4:6

Big Government in the Words of Our President--- Jefferson, That Is

The following quote is attributed to President Thomas Jefferson. What wise men our founders were.

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to
take everything you have.

Bingo.

Where is Your Passport? All of them

I saw the article posted by the Read My Lipstick Network on the "others' take on the citizenship issue. I don't buy everything they say, but for the purposes of this post, let's assume I bite.

Ok- Obama is born in Hawaii in some hospital that won't admit it.

How did he go to school in Indonesia on an Indonesian passport? Since Indonesia doesn't recognize dual citizenship, wouldn't his American passport have been surrendered? Wouldn't he have had to renounce his American citizenship?

So, if we take the "others" argument to heart, doesn't renouncing citizenship to a country mean you are no longer a citizen? If this is true ( and to my knowledge, Indonesia has laid claim to his earlier citizenship of their country), then, at best, he is a naturalized citizen.

Still doesn't fit the qualifications as stated in the United States Constitution. And Congress still has their heads in the sand. Perhaps we should remember that at the next elections for your senators and congressmen.

Yep, change in America is here.

Sacrificial Lambs or Americans?

Today begins the Muslim celebration of Eid al-adha, the festival of sacrifice. This festival is held for about three days as the Muslim faith honors Abraham and his obedience to God.

If you recall the story in the Bible, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son. I imagine that would have been a hard direction to go, but the Bible tells us Abraham was willing to obey God in this. God intervened and spared his son by sending a sacrificial lamb to Abraham.

Now to the present---

It seems like we recently heard the remark by Barack Obama that all Americans must sacrifice. Gotta wonder what type of sacrifice was meant? Our children, our lives or just America?

Why the Constitution is in Danger and so are You

I just heard on the news that the man from New Jersey who had a suit in DC for Congress to see the birth certificate of Barack Obama has been denied.

I value the Constitution, therefore I find merit in knowing where he was born. To my knowledge, no place in Hawaii has wanted to claim he was born in Hawaii. To my knowledge, his own grandmother says he was born in Kenya. To my knowledge, he has yet to fulfill the law of the land of which he seeks to become president.

You want to be president? It's simple. Follow the rules that were agreed upon 221 years ago which state that only natural born American citizens can be president.

Does America value the Constitution? Or are those in power to scared to follow the rules?

If an authentic birth certificate cannot be produced, and the Electoral College votes to make Obama president, then our government no longer values the Constitution and will have opened the door for our demise.

Just a thought--

Oprah Snubbed?

Poor Oprah. Reports are out in the news today that poor little female Oprah thinks she is being snubbed by a female governor named Sarah.

Gee, Oprah had no interest in the sister hood of a female running for vice-president. Gee, Oprah really jumpstarted the campaign for a man. Gee, Oprah never issued an open invitation to a female running for the country's second highest office. Only the others. Hmmmm...

Poor Oprah. It's just so sad. And here I thought she was more open minded, being a woman and all.

Rank is a Security Risk?

Times have indeed changed. I have a friend who will be heading overseas to fight for our country later this month. He has requested several items to send to his fellow mates for Christmas. They are simple requests- magazines, candy, jerky bars and the like. I'm happy to help.

My surprise came with his address. We are told we can not use his rank when mailing to the APO box as that is now considered to be a security risk. Now this particular chap is not a high ranking officer. Actually he is a NCO. His rank is a security risk?