The Life That Wins 

     "Christianity was never meant to make people miserable. The Bible teaches that inward rest and outward victory is our birthright. For many people the Christian life is not entirely joyous. Paul said, In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" - Romans 8:37. 

     "We can as children attend Sunday School and church, and as young adults find that victories are few and defeats are many. We may not experience the power of the truth we claim. He may have saved us from the penalty of sin, but we have yet to let Him save us from its control." 

     "We may not reveal to unbelievers (with or without conversation) that Christ our Lord is the way, the life and the truth. The early church was filled with the Holy Spirit. Without Bibles, church buildings, automobiles, planes, trains, phones, TV or radio, Christians turned their world upside down for their Lord. Spiritual revolution shook the Roman Empire." 

     "They were vigorous. They lived their lives daily for the glory of God. Not all is/was happy. They gladly suffered persecution and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ. That is happening in our world today and will until Jesus returns."

     The late Billy Graham wrote most of the above. He added, "If we are to rise to the level of vitality God desires, it will be done by churches and individuals who have yielded their lives completely and fully to Christ."  

PS. Recently I read or skimmed a book of 365 hymns and commentaries. Many writers in the 1800s were fixed on leaving this world and going where Jesus is. Or, that He comes here...quickly. They didn't have the "toys" we enjoy today. 

Monday: The Love of Christ in Iran 

Listen to the Silence 

     Peter wrote, "As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct." What does it mean to be holy? A blog for Christians, including myself. 

Janie B. Cheaney 

     "The root meaning is to be set apart; different; called away from our former ignorance. Not set apart from the Lord, or family and friends, or strangers. A pastor asked, 'How present are we if we're staring at our phones much of the time? The internet can be handy, while the mind wanders into trivialities minute by minute.'" 

     "Holiness takes work. Peter talks about preparing minds for action." Mrs. Cheaney writes about how we waste time, like looking at Instagram reels but can't remember anything five seconds later. "Other ways to use time may be taking walks with the kids, call friends to meet us at the park. Having people over to playboard games or just hang out." 

     Cheaney concludes, "Some church members say they're sleeping better, or reading more, or walking unplugged. God willing, we're paying more attention to the beauties and the duties that surround us. And God willing, we'll learn to listen to the silence, because that's where His still small voice is heard."

So that's how we become more holy?

Russia - Not Normal 

     In our conclusion to Russia's problems, their economy has suffered. There is widespread damage and closure among Russian businesses. They cannot no longer complete basic functions like digital payments or online advertising. A news outlet estimated losses between $7 million and $12 million per day, just for businesses in Moscow. 

     According to a Reuters news report, foreign diplomats in Moscow wonder if the internet crackdown may be preparation for the eventual return of hundreds of thousands of Russian troops now in Ukraine. In 1989, following the end of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, returning soldiers caused major social upheaval across the Soviet Union, which disintegrated in 1991.* 

     Putin, a young KGB officer at the time, remembered the Soviet Union's collapse as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the (20th) century." * The Russian president no doubt wants to avoid a new disaster on his watch.

     "Even those who support the regime understand this isn't normal," said a Russian woman. "But they're so intimidated, they're afraid to express themselves, their emotions - even by telephone."   

* In 1991, we moved to South Carolina to work in communications at what locals called the "bomb plant." All five nuclear reactors had been shut down. Russia's reluctance to end the cold war caused our side to reload one of the reactors...in September. It was an exciting time for me, just an office worker - no experience with nukes. Then Russia backed down, and the cold war ended. 

* Guess Putin didn't know about WW1 and WW2   😕

 Trouble For Russians 

     After a crackdown on the internet, Russia has complicated living for its people, even those well beyond the borders. We remember the days of nuclear faceoff, but this is a bit crazy. A woman withholding her last name said, the overall situation is "simply horrible." She can't enjoy video chats with her relatives. "Russia is returning to the Middle Ages." 

     In March, Russians had slower - or dead - connections on popular messaging and social media apps. The impact has provoked unusual public criticism. A popular Russian posted an 18-minute video complaint addressed to President Vladimir Putin. The post racked up more than 30 million views worldwide. In July, a government polling group reported a 5-percentage drop in Russians' approval of Putin, to 66%.  

     Respondents cited continuing internet blackouts, and a war-related fuel shortage as key concerns. Internet limits have added to Russia's everyday difficulties, as price inflation and higher taxes - both a result of the war - further erode standards of living. The Kremlin and Russia's telecommunications regulator have tied the slow down to the war against Ukraine. 

     Kyiv answers with sophisticated methods for attacks. Russia needs protection measures, as Ukraine sends drones to military targets, especially to its oil storage and export facilities. Oil sales help fund Russia's war. 

     For average Russians, who depend on their phones to pay bills, text or call contacts, or otherwise function in a modern society, the limited means of communication have disrupted life completely. Some reports claim the blackouts have already cost lives, since slow or no internet can hinder calls for urgent medical care. 

Conclusion tomorrow

 The Clancy Case 

     See as we see it, or disagree. We're not lawyers. What concerns us as the hung jury triple murder trial is back in court, is whether jurors - and lawyers - are honest. We would like to think court cases are mostly upright. 

     Mrs. Clancy, 36, strangled her three young children - Cora, Dawson and Callen. This was a planned act, under control, in the basement. She intended to follow them into history. She bungled her attempt. Views has no doubt the kids are safely in heaven. Believe as you wish. 

     There were 9 women and 3 men on the court. Eleven jurors decided Mrs. Clancy was not guilty, due to her psychosis. One female said not guilty was a good sign for women's rights...or something like that. One man, Michael, had/has no doubts Clancy was/is guilty. The foreperson told the judge that Michael was refusing to follow jury laws. He, a loyal Catholic, is under such fury he remains out of sight. 

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     Tuesday's meeting didn't move any sticks. Clancy's lawyer Reddington now says, "there is no proof she killed her kids" in 2023. She will be in a psychiatric hospital until this case is resolved. If acquitted, a judge could order her confined to a mental health facility.

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     We have fragile cracks in our legal system. Is the foreperson honest? Did the other 10 just go along? Was the case well prepared to begin with? We saw Michael's short interview on TV and we see his point. 

     Mrs. Clancy can be found guilty of first-degree murder, and her punishment need not be severe, being that she is full-time care. Lies and other mischief in courts will lead to more parents finding ways to get unwanted kids out of the way. 

     Years ago, Mrs. Donut and two other Christian leaders with as many as 150 volunteers were helping children not loved by their parents. And that's just one county in one state.  

Need a Job?

     Americans filed nearly 6 million business applications in 2025, the most in two decades. They say about a third of those will likely become businesses that produce jobs and paychecks, according to the Census Bureau. 

     More than 3 million applications have been filed in the first six months of 2026. "Many economists, says Todd Vician, attribute current numbers to artificial intelligence. More than half of small business founders used AI to start their business last year. And 50% said technology made the process faster or cheaper." 

     One expert said "I do not necessarily believe that AI will improve profitability, but I think AI is the explanation for the increase in the last year or two. Applications don't directly equate to opening new businesses that produce jobs and paychecks. Applications from existing corporations or those who are hiring employees are more likely to become functioning businesses within a year." 

     "The retail trade consistently has the highest number of applications, but construction, manufacturing and healthcare sectors are more likely to provide jobs." 

     Got all that?      Jimmy

 

 

 The Recess Comeback  

     Raise your hand if you had recess in grade school. Hua...we thought so. Yours truly had recess, free to do whatever, for maybe 20 or 30 minutes, in a field large enough to play softball, which we did when we got older. 

     We didn't know kids have been denied recess around the country...or for how long. Whatever, there is a push to restore recess, even for 60 minutes. Three mothers in Tennessee succeeded in getting schools to expand 10-minute recesses to 40 minutes. Twenty states have chapters of their nonprofit. 

     They argue longer recesses should be available to all elementary kids, regardless of good or bad behavior. About the only memory we have of recess is the time Bill saw me - youngest in the class and probably the weakest - and tried to knock me down. I responded without thinking, and Bill was the one on the ground. 

     Multiple studies affirm the necessity of play for children's physical and mental health. Somehow, longer recesses improve academic performance, and problem-solving skills. Really? The American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed its stance that recesses better children's cognitive, physical and emotional well-being. Really again? 

     Entering grade school four months short of age 6, we knew nothing about cognitive well-being. Did you? As for Bill, we withhold his last name here - and we blog without our last name - lest a reader who knows him tips him off. He might want to get even...really?

      Jimmy