Father's Day

     "Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged." So advised Paul in a letter to the Colossians 3:21. 

     This future blogger didn't embitter my three children. In fact, I was too lenient, concentrating on my job and church responsibilities, while my wife raised the kids. That seemed to be working, until the wife wanted a divorce. Wow! I had been transferred to work 80 miles from home. My father drove 90 miles or so to check on me, concerned I might harm myself. 

     Years later, my adult "kids" now respect me. I had been guilty of putting other activity, important as it was, ahead of their path to salvation. All of us live in different states. Boo. I became the only man in my extended family to be divorced. Boo again. At age 52, God gave me a faithful second wife, Mrs. Donut. Yea! 😄

     So, fathers, if you are raising children, they come first, as does your marriage. Other scriptures: Genesis 18:19, Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 78:5 and 127:3, Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:12-14, 21, Luke 1:27 and Matthew 19:14. There are more verses. No favoritism. Encouragement. Kindness. Humility. Gentleness. Patience. 

              Jimmy  

And Saturday 

Nature Rewires Brains

     Perhaps you didn't know this. My brain certainly needed something... all my life. We're not going to give you the neurological details. 😀 

     Yes, we are. Nature rewires brains, so say those who do imaging studies. In nature, a cascade of changes that quiet the brain take over. This effect doesn't occur with those watching sports events or attend big concerts. 😉 It does occur on the former - now quiet - fairway #4 behind our house. You've heard of stress circuity? And the replenishment of depleted attention?  

     Forgive me if I'm going too fast. The brain produces neural states... resembling meditation, if that helps. Immersive virtual reality is another way of understanding this. 😏 Even indoor greenery can produce neuroimaging techniques. 

      A man in Chile, of all places, gives me the chills, says, "nature's effects on the brain unfolds in a cascade across several interconnected levels." These levels interact dynamically, he says. 😕 Well, of course. 

     If this helps, sensory features of nature imitate the cascade, which propagates through stress regulation. Attention, he says, this is ultimately how we experience ourselves. 😒

     Oh, how I wish I had known this during school years. My teachers - and the girls - would have been so expressed, I mean impressed. 

Jimmy 😎

     

Our War Within 

     Oh, we don't mean political. Many of us thinking of the 250th birthday, while anarchy takes place across the nation. 

     In Orlando, tourists normally see families, live music, roller coasters, water parks and other entertainment. In minutes, a park turned from colorful to chaotic. This called for firefighters, police, ambulances. 

     An employee said "There were a bunch of people fighting, crying, trying to steal. More than 1,000 teenagers swarmed the park during a 'teen takeover.'" It underscores the anarchy in towns and cities across the U.S., says The Epoch Times. 

     "Since summer 2024, cities including Chicago have seen gatherings with hundreds of minors converging on malls, beaches, parks or restaurants. These often end in fights, vandalism, destruction of property, conflicts with law enforcement, arrests, and even shootings." 

     "In Florida there have been several takeovers, shootings and arrests." Yes, Florida, where adults are blessed with the economy and law enforcement. 

     "In Detroit, a 14-year-old was shot at a takeover. A Chipotle restaurant in Washington was vandalized by masked teens. Youths descended on a quiet New Jersey beach town, fighting and jumping on cars, forcing law enforcement to respond with riot shields."

     "Teen takeovers first gained notoriety in Chicago. It evolved into a nationwide occurrence in 2025 and has remained a regular event in 2026. Participants range in age from 12 to 20." 

     "Takeovers put city officials, law enforcement and businesses on edge due to their unpredictable nature."  

     Views is aware of thefts, gang violence and riots, such as Antifa. But this is the first we've learned of teenage violence - without a name, political connection or any other source. Parents: Do your job!

Tomorrow: Nature rewires brains  

 What About Israel?  

1. God's covenants with Israel were literal and eternal 

     In the Old Testament God made unconditional promises to Israel that were in His character, not Israel's obedience. He promised Abraham a nation and blessing; and he promised David an everlasting throne and kingdom. 

2. Paul explicitly rejected the idea that God had cast Israel aside

     Paul addressed Israel's unbelief directly. In Romans 9:11, he confronted the painful reality that many of his fellow Jews had rejected Christ. Paul's conclusion: "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid." (Romans 11:1). Paul described Israel's unbelief as real, tragic and serious - but not final. He taught that God still intends to bring about a future turning of the Jewish people to their Messiah.

3. Israel's restoration and the church's mission are complementary, not conflicting

     The New Testament never presents the church as a replacement for Israel. Instead, it presents the church as a distinct body with a distinct mission. After his resurrection, Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6. Jesus spoke not of cancellation, but of timing: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons." 

     The church was not given the task of establishing the kingdom. It was given responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel. That mission includes Jewish and Gentiles alike.   - Pastor Paul Chappell

Friday: Teenagers on the loose

Cambrian Explosion 

     Darwin didn't have all the facts when he assumed evolution is the answer. 

     Paleontologists determined that an "explosion" of life happened around 540 million years ago. There appeared many characterizes of modern animal life. Over a period of a few million years, about 70 different animals appeared. The New York Times reported in 1991, "Spectacular Fossils Record Early Riot of Creation." Yes, the NYT headlined the word "creation." Scientists called this the "biological big bang." 

     Our book: "The evidence shows a top-down pattern, wherein animal body designs appear first, followed by variations. This is the opposite of the bottom-up Darwin model. The Cambrian explosion reveals the sudden appearance of all basic designs, so distinct that they have to be categorized in different phyla. A leading Darwinist, Richard Dawkins, admitted, 'It is as though they were just planted there, without any evolutionary history.'"  

     "After the explosion, almost no new animals appear in the fossil record...for the last half-billion years." 

     Views: Darwin was on the fence about Christianity. We guess, had he lived long enough to know about the Cambrian discovery, he would have attended the next church service. As for today's Darwinists, their self-importance will destroy them.

Evidence of Truth 

  Found on our computer.

     Historians Josephus, Tacitus and Celsus did not believe Jesus was the Son of God. But one wrote that "James was the brother of Jesus." And that "their leader was put to death by Pontious Pilate." And they "did not deny Jesus was a real person. A Roman official and Jewish historian both talked about the same 'rebel.'"

     "Gospel stories line up with 1st Century Palestine: economics, politics, architecture and names. Outsiders get things wrong. Bible authors knew the region. It is not possible to start a movement founded on a non-existent person in a small community. Judean community was closeknit. Rumors spread. Records were kept. If the Jesus story was fraudulent, critics had every means to prove it." 

     While we believe God provided Matthew, Mark, Luke and John with Jesus' words years after He ascended to heaven, there are a few inconsistencies. So, the gospels were not edited.

     "Most humans lie to avoid trouble. Christ's earliest followers were tortured and mocked. If they were making up a story, it would have ended when Romans invaded Israel (Judea). Myths don't create martyrs."

     As for martyrs, there were more in the 20th century than ever before. The Lord calls us to believe and follow him, with faith, hope and love.       

Tomorrow: The Cambrian Explosion 

         Jimmy

     

 Twenty Days to Go 

     We can't say we won our 200th year of nationhood in 1976. Will we win our 250th July 4th? We did win a soccer game. And SpaceX. 😉

     Jamey Cheaney: "Pride in America is at an all-time low, especially among the young." One poll shows only 41% of young Americans have pride in their country. And 29% are embarrassed. A poll: 38% are extremely proud. Some of these polls were taken 2-3 years ago, in Biden America, or recovering from it. Will Lee Greenwood sing I'm proud to be an American again this summer?       

     Our Founding Fathers were not certain about America's future. Ben Franklin replied to a woman's question, A republic, if you can keep it. Mrs. Cheaney says, "Jefferson and Adams wouldn't recognize the nation they birthed in 1776." Slavery continued in the South for more than 60 years.  

     Freedom made possible prosperity, peace, ambition and innovation (bad for some, overcoming poverty for others). Author Wilfred McClay says, "Being a land of hope will also sometimes mean dashed hopes. A nation that professes high ideals makes itself vulnerable to criticism. All humans are flawed, as is human enterprise. Much of what passes for cynicism is lack of naivete (wisdom, experience and judgment)." 

     Cheaney says "The political scene isn't too encouraging, but by God's grace we're still here. We can love our homeland. She needs it."

Views: 250 years ago, there were no vehicles, airplanes, TV, telephones, education...little cash and no oil. Families more or less remained neighbors and church goers until after WWII. Our young generation - some of them - hate what we've become. They may be listening to the wrong people or thinking for themselves. They won't find a better country. Different people have different views, so not everyone will sing along with Lee Greenwood.