Internet Awareness

Dear Readers,

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and to converse. I have made several changes to my blog page out of concern for the security of my family. Due to the threat of online predators, I have removed the name of my home town and all photographs of my family. I love my family and have the desire to show them off. However, in this day and age I have come to the conclusion that it is best not to do so. Furthermore, I love my church and wish to brag on them. Again, I feel that it is best not to do so. I hope to create a personal site, maybe using MySpace or some other service that will only allow "friends" to view the content. While this blog has that capability, I do want to keep it open to visitors, etc.

Along those lines, as a pastor and a parent, I encourage each of you to be aware that the internet is not a 100% safe resource. If you are the parent of a teenager or child, I encourage you to monitor your child's internet activity. Last night, my wife and I saw an Oprah episode in which a teenage boy and a former undercover FBI agent shared horror stories of how Child-porn viewers take advantage of innocent children and teenagers through online communication. Child-porn viewers asked this young boy to do horrible things in front of his internet camera, sending him money and gifts each time. The boy's own mother worked with troubled teens, and had no idea what was happening until it was too late. The FBI agent said that many children have gone missing, while countless others have appeared on the internet in still shots or movies. While many federal agencies are currently busting online predators, they are often slow in following through. The damage is done before these kids can be saved. This is not a danger that is far away, only happening in other states or countries. It can happen in your own back yard. The agent said that most of these predators work in jobs that serve children. They are people from all walks of life.

Not only do predators use the internet for pornography, but scams as well. I encourage you to never give out your personal information to anyone who initiates contact with you. Never respond to lottery notices, or anything that is too good to be true. Please use good judgment when engaging internet resources, opening email, etc.

Monitor the time that you spend on the internet. Satan's best ploy is creating apathy. He does not want you to hate God, but to get you to become indifferent.

The internet can be a valuable resource. I continue to update links to "safe" webstites for Christians. These sites have a plethora of information regarding Bible Study, spirituality, and denomination interests. I hope that you find them helpful. Again, I welcome any suggestions for this blog, and look forward to conversation.

Grace and peace,

Tim