American Families?

     We don't recommend the book Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance in 2016. But we came across a couple pages, 228-229, that might interest you. 

     "By almost any measure, American working-class families experience a level of instability unseen else anywhere elsewhere in the world. Consider, for instance, Mom's revolving door of father figures. No other country experiences anything like this. In France (troubled in 2026) the percentage of children exposed to three or more maternal partners is 0.5 percent - about one in two hundred. 

     "The second highest share is 2.6 percent, in Sweden. In the United States, the figure is a shocking 8.2 percent - about one in twelve - and the figure is even higher in the working class. The most depressing part is that relationship instability, like home chaos, is a vicious cycle. As socialists found, a 'growing body of literature suggests that children who experience multiple transitions in family structure may fare worse developmentally than children raised in stable two-parent families, and perhaps even than children raised in stable, single-parent families.' 

     "For many kids, the first impulse is to escape, but people who lurch toward the exit rarely choose the right door. Out of the frying pan into the fire. Chaos begets chaos. Instability begets instability. Welcome to family life for the American hillbilly. 

     "For me, understanding my past and knowing that I wasn't doomed gave me the hope and fortitude to deal with the demons of my youth." 

     Yours truly received an Ohio State degree in five years. Vance did it in two years, extra courses, all A's, while working two jobs and wearing his military boots. I admit he is better qualified to be our Vice President. 

     Many notable people - 50 in all - wrote praise of Vance's book. I can't recommend the foul language of the first half of the book, the Hillbellies, so we'll leave it there.  

        Jimmy

The Future of Our Past 

     We were going to set aside an article by Lynn Vincent...until we came to her conclusion. 

     "While paper can survive for centuries, digital records last only a decade or two at best. Archivists must wage a rolling battle against 'bit rot' ... file corruption and physical failure and software obsolescence, even as they preserve new material. 

     "Personal archives are also become far less discoverable. Seventy years from now, who will stumble upon important letters in great grandma's attic? She will likely have used email, her missives lost forever to the digital grave. Who will stumble upon our records, imprisoned as most are on laptops, smartphones, cloud services and lapsed subscription appts? 

     "I fear most of us are irrationally optimistic that what matters will somehow survive. I also fear human history could turn increasingly sterile as archivists preserve records of what happened while neglecting records of what it was like to be there when it did." 

The Days After 9/11

     "I didn't want us to lose our soul. I wanted, as we defended our freedoms, I wanted people to remember how precious they are."    

     - Former President George W. Bush 

     

 

Ready for the Gospel

Believe it or not. 

     For nearly 50 years, an oppressive Islamic regime has tried to restrict efforts to spread the gospel. Christian ministries have developed strategies to circumvent the regime's policies. Through satellite TV and internet platforms, ministries engage the population of more than 92 million people, of whom less than 2% are Christian. 

     One person has organized and trained 50 Farsi-speaking pastors who disciple more than 4,000 online. Every participant in the program has studied the Bible and taken online courses. The ministry supports more than 250 underground churches and their courageous leaders. 

     Even as the government cut the internet and tried to jam satellite broadcasts, Christian satellite TV was still viewable in most areas. Coming to Christ and making him known have been costly for new believers. Being a Christian is dangerous. Witnessing is dangerous. Being in a home church is dangerous. A mother of a newborn recently was sent to prison for 17 years for attending a house church. 

     Amid the regional instability and uncertainty, these leaders continue to equip the church, regardless of what Iran's oppressive regime intends. 

PS. In America, we have those who wish to establish an oppressive regime. It's a world conquest in the hearts of (not all) many Muslims.  

Believe it or Not 

Believers in North Korea 

     Recently we blogged about North Korea turning Christian after WW2, only to fall under the dictatorship it is today. There is poverty and people have been stripped of freedoms that many of us take for granted. If Christians are discovered, they face severe persecution. Many are sent off to labor camps, and some are killed on the spot. 

     Still, there are Christians eager to hear the message of Jesus. Owning a Bible, study material or Christian music is forbidden. 

     Trans World Radio (TWR) reaches more than 160 countries and more than 200 languages. For more than 70 years TWR has shared the gospel in some of the world's most difficult places - those that are too dangerous or isolated for traditional missionaries. With transmitters, antennas and partnerships with radio stations around the world, TWR can reach nearly 4 billion people.   

     In North Korea many are desperate to hear the message of Jesus - and for hope to stand strong in their faith. Through untraceable, shortwave radio broadcasts, TWR enables people across North Korea to secretly tune in to a lineup of programs that encourage and disciple believers and those who don't yet know Christ. Programs include Bible School Basics, With You, Light and Life, Women of Hope and Prayer School. 

     Your blogger is taking faith even more seriously. You can learn about TWR on the internet.

Tomorrow: Christians in Iran 

 

Tommy John Surgery 

     While baseball season is coming to an end, we take a break from world events to remember Tommy John, who died in August at 83. A pitcher for the Dodgers and Yankees, he tore an ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Until then, that injury ended careers.  

     John underwent an experimental elbow reconstruction surgery by a team doctor who harvested a replacement tendon from elsewhere in John's body. He returned better than before, finishing second in the Cy Young Award in 1977 with the Dodgers, and again in 1979 with the Yankees. He finished his career in 1989 with 288 wins. 

The Border Barrier  

     Have you, like me, wondered how the border wall is coming. Well, it's only 38 percent complete, despite congressional funding. President Trump's 2016 campaign promise to build a wall at the southern border has had building delays and legal issues, despite Congress funding.  

     The border wall completed in Trump's second term is 64 miles. The money authorized by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act is $46.5 billion. The share of the southern border on private, tribal or state land is 70 percent. There have been legal proceedings to gain title to erect border barriers. The government filed more than 100 eminent domain cases between 2017 and 2020. 

         Jimmy

From War to Peace 

     What's going to happen? Find the answer in Zechariah, chapter 14, written around 480 B.C., give or take. You can open your Bible to Zechariah. Or we can summarize chapter 14 for you. We also have some commentary by experts. This short period in history - yet to come - will change life on earth, for all nations. 

     The world, including many Americans, are being taught lies about Israel. Some wish Gaza was the beginning of the end. Zechariah, a priest and prophet, reveals God's report. Here's what God told him to write:

     All nations will send men to fight Israel, but God will turn them on each other. There will be a great panic. Half the population will go into exile for safety. 

     Christ will return to the Mount of Olives, landing on the great valley east of Jerusalem. The mountain will split in two, half to the Mediterranean Sea and half to the western sea. The Bible says Christ will bring with him all his "holy ones." 

     Land will flatten out, with the land on which Christ will live and rule the world, slightly higher. There will be no daytime or nighttime. There will be "living" water year around, from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean and the Dead seas. When all settles, everyone living on earth will be believers, entering the Millenium. 

     David will take charge of Jerusalem. Christ will engage with the Jewish, year around. Everyone in the world will be expected to attend the annual Feast of Tabernacles. Those who don't attend, will suffer something like a lack of rain. Zechariah doesn't say how everyone in the world will travel to Israel and back. We assume there is a surprise of some sort. 

     Everything and everyone will be holy, dedicated to worship and service of the Lord. No more immorality or wickedness. For more of "living water" you might look up Psalm 46:4, Ezekiel 47:1-12 and Joel 3:18.

#

      

 

The God Who Hears 

  part 2 of 2

     The man Arman found the love of Jesus. It replaced the hatred and pain he carried, and led him to a life of evangelism, with special concern for Muslims in Iran. After leaving Iran, he found himself a political refugee in Europe. 

     Though still considering himself a Muslim, he brought his growing despair to the church. "I cried all the time when I went to the church," Arman recalled. "People prayed for me over and over. They were so kind." 

     One evening he slept at a friend's home. Startled from a deep sleep, the suffering in his heart welled up and threatened to overwhelm him. He got up and felt compelled to pray - not to Allah, but to Jesus Christ. "If you are real, show me a sign," he said. "They tell me that Jesus is love, that Jesus is God. If all these things are real, show me a sign."

     Days later, Arman received a letter granting him asylum. He shared it with friends at the church and realized this was his sign. "For 29 years I wasted my life on Islam," thinking about the silence he felt when he prayed to Allah. "But when I accepted Jesus, he immediately answered me." 

     "After I received the love of Jesus," Arman said, "I grew in knowledge and all the teaching from the pastor. Even my personality changed and I started to serve ... without anger. Everything changed." He saw hundreds of people come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as he shared with them. 

     In 2023 he changed his job to driving taxi. He estimates that almost 150 people have come to faith in Christ through conversations in the cab. Arman leads a team of online evangelists that reaches into Iran through the internet. This includes Muslims who want to attack Christianity, but some who level threats end up giving their hearts to the Lord. 

     There is more to his story, like words from Isaiah 49:6. 

Tomorrow, the final war

  

 

First With Hate, Then Love 

     An Iranian named Arman had grown up with Muslim parents who were strict, controlling and cruel. He described their religion as "without any knowledge, without any purpose and without any love." 

     "Some of the extreme treatment hurt me a lot," he said. 

     "Twice driven to despair due to his home life and the brutalities of the hardline Shia Islamic theocracy of Iran, Arman tried to take his own life. He begged Allah for help but heard nothing but silence. So, he channeled his frustrations, disillusionment and anger into political protest against the government. When he finally fled Iran at age 29, he carried with him a burden of bitterness toward his parents and the harsh Islam they represented." 

     "I hated them," he said, "and before I left Iran I told them, 'I will not forgive you, never.' He considered what might cause them the most pain, and going to a Christian church seemed to be just the thing. 'It was the first motivation,' Arman admitted. 'But after that I found the love of Jesus.'" 

     "This love eventually replaced the hatred and pain he carried in his heart, and led him to a life of evangelism, with special concern for Muslims in Iran."

Arman's story concludes tomorrow

    

 Love Versus Hate in Iran 

     Over the past century or so, martyrdom, the killing of Christians, has increased around the world. "The Voice of the Martyrs" organization has published news coming out of Iran, one of the world's worst persecuting nations over the past 40 some years. 

     They report, "The Iranian government is among the most oppressive regimes in the world. Leaving Islam is illegal, and Christians face the threat of imprisonment for owning Bibles or even talking about Christ. Christians remain prime targets for a government fixated on silencing their witness to Christ. Iranian Christians face the constant threat of imprisonment and torture. Those who dare to bring God's Word to Iranians do so at extreme risk." 

     "Today, many of those who committed their lives to Islam and Islamic rule are filled with despair. This has opened new doors for the gospel, which is sweeping across the nation by Christian media and bold evangelists in Iran's growing house church movements. Bible distribution efforts are increasingly effective as the ongoing "war" draws attention away from them."

     "The Voice of the Martyrs provides encouragement, support and training for former prisoners rebuilding their lives. VOM's global ministry also provides discipleship and leadership training for current and future Christian leaders. And they partner with Bible smugglers who are dedicated to getting God's Word to believers." 

Tuesday: A former Muslim's story

 Only in the Christian life does surrender bring victory.

             - the late Billy Graham 

     Views still anticipates a Monday restart, with incredible news from Iran. 

                      Jimmy

Friday evening 

God protect the people of Alabama and western Florida 

Monday's coming   

 

 While we wait for Monday's resumption of our blog (Iranians not associated with Muslim authorities) let's turn to harmless baseball for a change,

Last Saturday night the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees. Play resumed on Monday night, when the Rays won again. Then in New York for game 3, the Rays squeezed out a 4-3 victory, winning the series. I was sleeping, not in Seattle, but Hudson, Florida. Today I saw the report on a possible home run by the Yanks in the sixth inning, a possible catch by the leaping outfielder, and a fan who stole the game by trying or actually catching the ball. They cancelled the homer, and sent the batter to 2nd base. He never scored.

That series was so common for these two teams. The Rays took the lead in July and never gave it up. If they won, so did the Yanks. If they lost, so did New York. 

Who will the Rays play next? Tonight the Chicago White Sox, with a 2-1 lead, plays the Cleveland Guardians (don't insult the real indians!) This is rare territory for both teams. When I was a kid, the Indians were our favorites, and we drove maybe 60 miles up to see them play once a year. 

I'm not the baseball fan of old, but it would be neat to see my new team play my old team. Forgive me if you are Yankee minded. But they disappointed me so many years I can't forgive. Now...where is the off button?  

See, I'm getting better control of my fingers. Still making progress. 

        Jimmy

My friends and readers of our blog

     I didn't feel good Sunday. On Monday things began to happen. I got the shakes and couldn't do anything. Mrs. Donut did for me countless times what I would do myself. 

     We went to the hospital where the emergency staff tested everything. At last, the problem. I had colitis in my colon. Interesting how a problem in one place can cause the body to have a fit. 

     We returned home with some papers. I fell into bed about 8 pm and slept all night. Meanwhile, I also had another problem. Will all my readers leave. I checked on you tonight and you were still there...at least your names were still there. I have more doctor visits ahead, and I'm taking two pills a day. My hope is to return to blogging next Monday. There were times on Monday when I wasn't sure I would make it.

     So, why don't we return to blogging now? If you knew how many times I had to correct shaky words before I could send this to you... 

     Jimmy                                               Tuesday night           

Sharing the Love of Christ in Iran  

Sounds like an impossibility.

This the blog we intended to run Monday.  

Yours truly has been under the weather. 

We hope to be well enough Monday morning to give you the details. 

 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. 

-----------------

     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.

-----------------

     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  

 

          

Rededicating America to God

     This summer thousands from around the nation gathered for a daylong prayer meeting on the National Mall in Washington. 

     Pastor Craig Moore from South Dakota said, "We get our marching orders from the Lord. We felt like the Holy Spirit was leading us to do this." Several speakers noted it was 250 years ago when the 13 colonies observed a day of humiliation, fasting and prayer in the early days of the Revolutionary War. 

     "Today, friends, we are in a spiritual war," said Gary Hamrick of Leesburg, Virginia. "This is a battle between good and evil, between right and wrong, between truth and lies, between light and darkness. This is a battle for the very soul of America. Please know that our hope is not lost. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." 

     Other speakers included Robert Jeffress, Jack Graham, Eric Metaxas and Alveda King. "How does rededication take place?" asked Jeffress. "The same way it happened 250 years ago: It starts with prayer. It starts with you. It starts with me."

     Franklin said, "Today there is no better moment than right now for each of us to look deep into our own hearts and quietly repent of our sins and call upon the Name of Almighty God." Cissie Graham Lynch said, "We do this not because we're perfect people; we're not. America is a deep and persistent belief that we cannot persevere on our own - that we need God." 

     President Trump, J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio addressed the meeting by video. Mike Johnson offered the official prayer of rededication: "Almighty God, we ask that you hear these solemn petitions, Just as in the beginning we dedicated this land to your most holy Name, today Lord - in this 250th year of American independence - we rededicate the United States of America as one nation under God."

We have peace with God - Romans 5:1 

     Really? Our world has tensions, emergencies and revolt. There are drones, cyberattacks, sabotage and covert operations. There is persecution, military robots and inhuman weather. 

     Christians flee Islamist attacks in Congo. Violent Islamist groups have attacked, abducted and murdered Christians. Pastors are not trained to deal with this. They themselves suffer physically, spiritually and mentally. 

     Meanwhile, Congolese pastors and Christians are still helping others amid the deadly Ebola virus in eastern DRC. The church remains the only place of hope for receiving displaced people. 

     The Congo is just one area of evil people and disease at work. 

     What about the USA? We have our laws and freedoms...and we have political and other opponents of laws and freedoms. Millions of foreigners who invaded during the Biden administration are still on the loose. 

     In 1968 a man killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. setting off riots as Black Americans had enough of White supremacy. (Living in Toledo, I witnessed some rioting). One Black man, not considered equal in Catholic seminary, quit to join the revolt. He attended meetings run by Marxists and other foreigners. Eventually, this thinker realized America, for all its problems, is the nation he could be at peace with. Democrats hate him. 

     Maybe you've heard of (Black) Clarence Thomas.  

Where Do We Get Our Identity? 

     Columnist Andree Seu Peterson says, "Beware of where your identity is. If it is reputation or identity other than saved-sinner and child-of-God, it will sooner or later backfire."

     "I actually enjoy a good humbling now and then. Not in the moment, of course. It recenters me. And God is happy to supply these moments. No chastening seems to be joyful for the present. Afterword it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those trained by it. - Hebrews 12:11. 

     "Paul remarked, 'But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court - 1 Corinthians 4:3." When you are confident of God's love, the opinion of others can sting but not destroy.  

     "The surpassing greatness of the wisdom and knowledge of God breaks down all pride. We can laugh at the impostors we have been. Even Job got too big for his britches, and God had to review for him the facts of the universe. 'Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding." - Job 38:2-4 

     "Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me." 

  

Higher Education; Lower Results

     A book by Kevin Roberts, Higher Education in America, asks how bad the university system has become. He says, It's worse than you think. Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, says a number of academics and analysts attempt to diagnose what ails America's colleges. 

     "One group of essays take on education's affordability.  As the cost creeped up, the federal government tried to help, making it easier for students to borrow money. So, what did the schools do? They raised costs even higher.

     "Transparency: Under the guise of financial aid, colleges offer various discounts. Families often don't know how much it will cost until late in the process. No one knows who much 0ther students receive in discounts. This lack of price transparency allows colleges to warp the market and squeeze additional revenue out of students. 

     "What schools spend on instruction hasn't risen at the same rate as the cost of attendance. There is bureaucratic bloat, much of it spending tuition dollars on left-wing causes. Recent attacks on Jewish students and problems with DEI (diversity equity inclusion) come up repeatedly. 

     "How do we fix affordability, bloat and the left's stranglehold on higher education? Some say reform. Some say create new colleges and universities. But part of the solution is to remember the purpose of college. Stop thinking about college as job training and the acquisition of knowledge - and think about it as a place to form free and responsible citizens."  

Views: We've learned that numerous leftist graduates have no knowledge to lead them to employment. So they are using the system to gain political power, and if they succeed, to destroy our constitution, senate, and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That's what the progressives want: for themselves only. 

            Jimmy

The Apple of His Eye  

     Yesterday from Old Testament Zechariah chapter 8 we listed the Lord's 10 promises to Israel...still in the future. The Bible being truth, Israel will be the center of God's activity for a thousand years.

     Why don't most people believe it? In Lighthouse Trails Research Journal, "Demonic influences have worked their way into the church and altered the way some Christians think about the Jews, Israel and the Word of God. Martin Luther turned against the Jews, and Hitler used Luther's thoughts in his attempt at genocide of the Jewish race." 

     "We find the church having less knowledge of prophecy, especially as it relates directly to Israel. Most evangelical Christians have supported the Jews and the modern state of Israel, but things are changing. The church drifted away from her Jewish beginnings, many believing the church has replaced Israel. But, we see prophecy being fulfilled with God's protection and restoration of the Jews to their land." 

     "God says we are to bless them. 'They have been entrusted with the very words of God' - Romans 3:2. 'Salvation is of the Jews' - John 4:22. God has blessed and prospered them wherever they went (Except World War II). Christians, are we to think as the world thinks?" 

- for whoever touches you touches the apple (pupil) of his eye. - Zechariah 2:8. The Godly remnant of Israel and believing Gentiles will be God's people in the millennium. 

   Priest and prophet Zechariah, 520-470 B.C., receiving God's plan for Zion and Jerusalem 

The Lord Almighty says:

     "I am burning with jealously for Zion     

     "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem (the city of truth, Holy Mountain) 

     "Men and women of ripe old age will sit on the streets of Jerusalem. Streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there 

     "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time 

     "I will save my people from the countries of the East and West. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem 

     "You who hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty; let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built

     "Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity...so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah 

     "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace

     "Many people and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come. Many people and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty 

     "In those days, ten men from all languages and nations will take firm the hold of one Jew and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you." 

                                                          *

     Zechariah chapter 8. The key to Israel's restoration is Christ's return in glory and begins his earthly reign over all the nations. It's called the millennium - a thousand years. Jerusalem will be a city of truth and faithfulness. The mountains of the Lord will be holy. (They will be rearranged.)  

     Much will happen before Christ returns - a world hatred of Israel - but we're getting closer. 

 

Fauci in Contempt 

     We've been occupied with other topics. So, six weeks after the fact, August 6 a Senate committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. That came after Fauci had invoked his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times. He had been forgiven of any wrongdoing by outgoing President Joe Biden, so the Governmental Affairs Committee had reason to question him.   

     It all has to do with the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which Fauci helped lead. The committee also released portions of a diary Fauci kept during the pandemic. Sen. Rand Paul argued the pardon nullified Fauci's Fifth Amendment rights. Whatever. Fauci retired as the wealthiest government employee. The pandemic helped some people. 

Social Security's shortfall 

     Lawmakers are running out of time to fix Social Security's funding shortfall. By 2032, payouts will exceed payroll taxes, leading to an automatic reduction of benefits. Most Americans expect to get Social Security when they retire. Many say they aren't saving anything else. (All three of our "kids" are not expecting SS to last and are working and saving accordingly.) 

      Some 77% of respondents to a survey opposed a $1,300 payroll tax increase. Even that wouldn't close the funding gap. And 77% of respondents oppose benefit cuts to save the program. 

     This year, 71 million Americans receive SS benefits. Workers paying into the program in 2025 outnumbered the beneficiaries 2.9 to 1. 

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Prayer often is triggered by adversity.  

When we face great difficulty, we come to the end of ourselves.

There are times when only the Holy spirit can pray for us and with us.

Jack Graham

     Lynn Vincent: "Paul told the Romans how they should respond to the spiritual journeys of other Christians. 

     'We have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another...that together you may with one voice glorify God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.'" - Romans 15:1, 5-6

There is only one ground upon which man may 

meet God with joy and not with despair. 

That ground is the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

 

Ukrainians beginning to win?

     "Ukraine has been pummeling Russian oil sites and warehouses that are part of Russia's military supply chain. In 2026 Ukraine has achieved an 8-1 casualty ratio. This could create a window of opportunity for peace talks. But Russia is preparing a move which may include 30,000 new (more) troops from North Korea. (What a shame for men who never volunteered for war.) 

WORLD magazine

     "Starting in 2022, both sides have intensified their tactics. Russia's drone and missile strikes nearly killed 300 civilians and wounded another 1,800. Destruction of Ukrainian energy and heating capacity set conditions for a brutal winter. Russia's economy suffers from inflation and high costs of war. 

     "The supply of Ukraine weapons is dwindling, and America's involvement in Iran adds to the problem. The Senate passed a bill in August to impose sanctions against Russia. If approved, the bill includes extreme measures against Russia's economic machinery, oil and natural gas. America runs a charity in Ukraine. 

     "In Washington, William Taylor notes that 'Putin is still the biggest obstacle to peace. When he finally concedes that too many Russians have died, the economy is too weak, and Europe and the U.S. are against him...he will lay aside the might of the Russian military.'" 

Views isn't convinced Vladimir Putin will ever give it up. He is placing images of Joseph Stalin all over the nation. Stalin was born in Georgia with a very long name and became Russian dictator from 1924 to 1953. Stalin was a Marxist. Russia controlled numerous nations in its Soviet Empire. He welcomed America's help in stopping Hitler's invasion; then he tried to force the U.S., England and France out of Germany, where we/they were sent to restore civilization.* Russia then built a large wall around its German territory (apparently to keep Germans from escaping for freedom. Gun men saw to it.) Putin has nukes which his military wants him to use. Doesn't he want to be remembered, like Stalin?    

* That's when I and many others were drafted. 

     Turley, conclusion

Is reason itself cancelled?

     "One of the greatest triumphs for free speech came in the Supreme Court's 2023 decision that a Christian could refuse to provide service for a same-sex marriage. Justice Gorsuch wrote, 'the framers designed the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to protect the freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think.' The justices believe this is among our inalienable human rights.  

     "We are living in a time of rage. America was born in rage. It was rage that fueled the Boston Tea Party. The judiciary must stand in defense of our natural rights. Especially, it is during such times that we must stand as a people to prevent extremists of any ideological bent from politicizing or destroying our constitutional judicial system. Those establishment figures trying to cancel the Court today are delusional - not foreseeing that they will undermine their own freedom and security. 

     "The history of canceling courts is a history replete with unhappy endings. Courts are by necessity one of the first targets of revolutionaries. Following the Revolution that brought Bolsheviks to power in Russia, one of their first decrees was the 'Abolition of Existing Legal Institutions.' Soon after came the establishment of the infamous People's Courts. In revolution after revolution, newly established courts carried out the purported will of the people with terrible consequences. 

     "In an age of rage, it is too often reason itself that is canceled." 

Readers, if your family or friends need these truths, pass it on.

In the Beginning

   Jonathan Turley part 2

     Surprise. "In our beginning, there were few professional standards governing the American court system. Our 'experiment' began with courts openly biased. Judges and justices routinely ran for political office and openly engaged in political commentary from the bench. This would change with the first law schools: William & Mary in 1779. The first independent law school, Litchfield, Connecticut, in 1784. Quickly, the partisanship in the courts came to be absent of political associations. 

     "Today, what the Right and the Left call partisanship is actually deep and good faith jurisprudential differences on both ends of the Court. This was also the case when the Court had a liberal majority. During the years of the Warren Court in the 1950s and 60s, when conservative precedents were overturned in large numbers and conservatives were often outraged, there were virtually no calls to pack or eliminate the Court. The attack on the Court is disconnected from its voting record. 

     "Some 44 percent of cases are decided unanimously. Including 8-1 and 7-2 margins, that figure jumps to over 60 percent. Liberal justices refuted claims that the Court is a partisan institution. Justice Kagan rejected claims that the conservative majority is in President Trump's corner. The enthusiasm for packing or eliminating the Supreme Court is based less on voting records and views of the justices...than on Senator Warren's 'widely held public opinion.' 

     "On both ends, judicial restraints can be frustrating, even infuriating. And sometimes the Court can get things wrong. Consider the attacks on free speech that came to a head during the Biden administration. Government, academia and corporations created the largest censorship system in our history. There was an aggressive campaign between 2020 and 2024 to curtail free speech on the Internet and elsewhere, labeling it 'disinformation,' 'misinformation,' 'Malin formation,' or 'hate speech.' Those standing for free speech were dismissed as members of a 'cult of the Constitution.'" 

Tomorrow: Cancel the Court, lose your freedom and security

Across the country, protesters have dragged around makeshift guillotines as they call for "revolutionary" changes to our constitutional systems. The French Revolution is a reminder of how revolutions devour their own. Even more unnerving is the increase in calls for radical changes - elimination or packing the Supreme Court, trashing the Electoral College, and cancelling the U.S. Senate - by establishment figures on the Left. - Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College. 

Why We Shouldn't Cancel the Supreme Court 

Jonathan Turley, professor at George Washington University Law School. Views this week will summarize his speech at Hillsdale...what we all must know. 

     "Today's attacks on American judiciary harkens back to 'The Terror' in revolutionary France. Mobocracy - the Founders sought to avoid by designing our constitutional order. The Constitution, including the independent court system, were to protect God-given individual rights. 

     "There is a radical movement in the U.S. with chilling parallels to the French Revolution: eliminate or pack the Supreme Court. This is a litmus test for Democratic presidential candidates. Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Ro Khanna have embraced it. Gavin Newsom claims 'nostalgia' for the Court is not working. The Democratic Socialists of America call for dissolving the Supreme Court and eliminating the U.S. Senate. Strategist James Carville said, 'If Democrats win the presidency and both houses of Congress on day one they should expand the Supreme Court to 13.' 

     "Sen. Elizabeth Warren characterized the Court as illegitimate because it renders decisions against 'widely held public opinion.' Former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell said, 'the Court defies the will of the people.' U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - of presidential interest - asks why we even have a Supreme Court. 'How much does the current structure benefit us?' Buttigieg's Court would have 15 justices operating like the Federal Election Commission, with party loyalists voting the party line. 

     "Our non-partisan, independent judiciary serves two purposes: it plays a vital role in preserving the separation of powers, which prevents government power from being concentrated in one place. And it stands as a bulwark in defense of minority rights. It performs these essential roles without being threatened by the political branches - Congress and the executive branch."

Tomorrow: Court system corrections

Islam born about 600 a.d. 

What do they believe?

     Non-Christians wanted a religion. They believe in the Old Testament's torah, Psalms, the Gospel (we'll come back to that) and Muhammed, their final prophet of God. An after life awaits...if their good deeds exceed their bad deeds. Yes, the afterlife, the last judgment...paradise or hell. 

     Muslims have five pillars: worship, faith, daily prayer, fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca (where some get crushed in the crowds). They have laws, banking and finance. There is welfare for men and women. They are concerned about the environment, religious festivals, holy sites, Mecca (Islam's founding in 610 C.E.), Medina (Saudi Arabian holy city) and Jerusalem. Why do we have two Medinas in America? 

     There are Shia and Sunni Muslims, although major issues are supposedly the same. Some war against other religions. Which group struck on 9/11?

     They believe Jesus was a revered prophet and messenger of God, but not the Son of God, or having any divinity. They believe Allah revealed the Gospel to Jesus as a divine scripture. But the original revelation has not been fully preserved, and canonical Gospels are considered humanly authored accounts written in later years. 

     Most Muslims don't believe the Qur'an refers to the gospels written by the New Testament apostles. 

     Finally, Muslims believe in Adam, Moses, Abraham, etc. But they have little interest in Jesus, born of a virgin. And who died on a cross and rose again to make a way for those who trust and obey. Good deeds may please the Lord, but no one enters heaven based on good deeds alone. 

     Any Muslim readers? We care for you and more importantly, Jesus - Son of God - loves you. But He will whisk you off to hell - as He has done to numerous relatives of mine - if you don't find a Bible and go to your knees in repentance and in new faith. I'm surprised that Satan waited 600 years - after Jesus lived, died and rose again - to create this enormous false religion. 

  

The religion that killed

2,977 Americans and 

over 6,000 others since 

then due to 9/11 injuries 

     My daughter in Ohio called me in Florida while the mass murder was underway. I had worked the night shift "guarding" our hospital. She woke me up. We all need to be awake to the truth behind this massacre. Today, many Americans don't worry about the truth, especially those 25 years ago, not yet born, or otherwise not connecting the dots.

      

     NYC Mayor Mamdani, a U.S. citizen for only eight years, attended Friday's 9/11 observance, despite requests from many New Yorkers not to attend. When he had a chance to address an audience, he spoke of his mother in New York that morning. Truth: She wasn't even in the USA that day. 

     We saw him laughing it up with New York Rep. AOC. Interesting: Mamdani is friendly with like-minded Muslims, while AOC is a communist considering the presidency in 2028. Muslims and communists are joined to destroy our nation of faith, family and freedom. If they succeed, they will turn on each other. 

      Muslims are waiting for Muhammed, who is to appear out of nowhere and lead the world. Meanwhile, they are murdering people in Africa, and we don't know where else. People without protection. 

     Let's look at Islam, 2 billion people, second largest religion in the world, and growing. They say their faith was revealed by prophets. They acknowledge Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Okay. They claim that Islam is the complete form of faith, and final revelation. Is it?

                                     Come back tomorrow. 

 Who Has the Power? 

     The U.S. is not done with those who hated us on 9:11, 25 years ago. Their like-minded followers aren't done with us. In the beginning: "There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. - Romans 7:23, repeated in Revelation 12:7." 

     Truth the Muslims don't know: "Our struggle is against powers of the dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12. 

     "Jesus Christ is in heaven with God's angels, authorities and powers." - 1 Peter 3:22. "Christ is the image of the invisible God; by him all things were created by him and for him." - Colossians 1:16. "He made a public spectacle of powers and authorities, triumphing by the cross." - Colossians 2:15. "The Son is sustaining all things by his powerful word." - Hebrews 1:3. 

     "Nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ. - Romans 8:38. "The rider on a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True, with justice he judges and makes war." - Revelation 19:11. 

     "The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels." - 2 Thessalonians 1:7.  

     These verses and many others crush the world of Islam and other falsehoods. God hasn't destroyed them and other misbelievers, yet. He is calling the worst of them to be saved. Over the years many Muslims have come to Christ. We believers follow God while the world remains troublesome.

    

      

      

Hear ye! Hear ye! 

Get your robot now! 

      At a senior living facility in Cleveland a resident chatted about religion and politics for more than an hour with a robot called Navi. The robot can monitor seniors and assist them. Researchers hope robotic caregivers will help the elderly to live independently longer. 

     The number of older Americans becomes a larger portion of the population. Robots may supplement the widening care gap. But the revolution could result in less, necessary human interaction. In 2030, deaths will outpace births. Some 20 percent of the population will be 65 or older. The nursing staff will need to grow 40% by 2050. (We say, the more nurses are unionized, the more bots will be needed.) Many assisted living facilities and nursing homes are overtaxed. Most are at the risk of closure or declining quality care.  

     A robot can move on wheels, and its face has cartoonish feathers. It provides companionship, performs health assessments, and can lead yoga sessions. It can identify facial expressions and respond to emotion. Future models will respond to unpredictable scenarios, and "supplement" rather than replace humans. Robots don't get tired. They don't mind working 15-hour shifts. 

    We're sold. We will order our bot on Monday. 😊   

     Do you see yourself talking with a robot? Brave new world.  

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Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah arrived in Florida in mid 2000, to begin flight training. They moved through the community undetected, blending among international students who pursued pilot certificates in Florida each year. 

How September 11 Involved Florida Sheriffs  

     Today, we think of New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville. Absolutely. Other news sources are recalling the worst attack ever carried out on American soil. Views will focus on Florida's sobering place in the story. Florida was not a bystander. It was a staging ground, a crisis management center, and ultimately the birthplace of the nation's first counterterrorism strategy. 

     While Floridians like everyone watched TV in disbelief, a deputy sheriff went to NYC (Staten Island) assisting in the recovery of human remains transported from Ground Zero. Other Floridians and hundreds from across the country went to help grieving families. It was physically demanding and emotionally taxing. 

     Florida became the focus of the investigation. Local law enforcement traced the hijackers' movements, contacts and financial dealings. The killers had walked the same neighborhoods they patrolled every day. 

     Within three days, Gov. Jeb Bush directed Emergency Management to assess the state's ability to prevent, mitigate and respond to a terrorist attack. In October, Florida became the first comprehensive state-level counterterrorism strategy published in the nation. 

     Now, 25 years later, the lessons remain in how Florida's sheriffs operate every day. They are guided by September 11, 2001. 

   

Perfection Costs Everything 

A message for Christians. 

     Twenty years ago, columnist Andree Seu Peterson was shopping when she heard a voice, "Be ye perfect." She knew it was God and explained why. "Jesus means what He says," she writes, - Matthew 5:48. In other words, do your best. 

     She writes, "Jesus instructed His disciples, 'Do not love only your friends. Love your enemies. Be perfect - not doing the bare minimum.' She explains imperfect. Someone hardening their heart. Someone who brings God's commands down to their level rather than raising one's level of obedience to His commands. 

     "People go 'this far and no farther.' They may get to heaven, but dragging wood, hay and stubble, rather than gold. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him - Psalm 25:14. Those who love Jesus and want more of Him - more knowledge, more intimacy, more growth - there is a price. Go all the way in obedience. 

     "In both the Old and New Testaments: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts - Psalm 95:7 ... Hebrews 3:15.' The Spirit is always in our hearts, but we can muffle His voice. Paul also warned against halfway Christian living: "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, infants in Christ. - 1 Corinthians 3:1-3." 

     "Be ye perfect is another way of Jesus saying, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength.'" 

     Dietrich Bonhoeffer, killed by the Nazis, put it, 'When Christ calls a man, he bids him to crucify the flesh." How does Christ know the hurt? Because He also crucified His flesh."

       PS. When our bodies die, our heart, soul and mind will live on. 

 Dust to Dust  

     Humm. Is this something for us seniors? 

     Jen Wilkin, a 55-year-old Bible teacher and author, wrote a book about wisdom we can gain from every season of life. Got my attention. 

First, she writes, "The body declines, but people develop. Our exterior continues to waste away (yeh, we know) but our interior life can continue to mature." Like writing blogs, Ms. Wilkin? "The oldest among us may be physically weak but spiritual giants." Never mind. Jimmy has never been a giant in any phase of life. But he knows truth from falsehood. 

Second, "Do what you wish. Jesus invites us to live lives directed by wishful thinking. While the world says do what you want, the Bible tells us to do what you wish. So, whatever you wish what others would do to you, do also to them - Matthew 7:12." I think I get it. 

Third, "Develop 'eulogy virtues' over resume virtues. Our culture fixates on 'resume virtues,' As we develop character and fruits of the Spirit, 'she argues,' we live lives of actual value and purpose to our last breath."  

     Well, take what you can from Wilkin's book. We have a purpose, which is to give you helpful, occasionally a bit comical information you might not find elsewhere. We don't predict our "last breath" thing. God will reveal it someday. 

              Jimmy

Can People Read?

     "America is facing a literacy crisis with no happy ending in sight," says Lauren Smyth. Nearly a quarter of U.S. adults are illiterate. That's 130 million people who can't read a simple story - like this blog - to their children or sound out more than a few basic words. 

     The problem isn't just high school dropouts, those with disabilities, and non-English. It affects university students, working professionals, and those who grew up speaking English at home. It goes beyond the inability to enjoy books, skim websites and write emails. Medication instructions, ingredient labels, and posted warnings can conceal deadly risks from nonreaders.   

     National literacy rates also have far-reaching implications for social development. Poverty, crime and literacy correlate so strongly that some states look at elementary reading scores to predict how many prison beds they will need in future years. 

     In Canada, Doug Allen teaches a writing class for university students in their fourth year. Recently, he had 20 students, 11 of which were failing. He said, "Two-thirds of our students are coming out of high school with a vocabulary of about 200 words. Their strategy for reading is to guess." 

     We know that America's awesome beginning didn't include schools. Our founders could read English, Latin and probably Hebrew. Everyone else just worked. 

     Today, words are far more necessary for most of us. 

                Jimmy

     

Power of the Press

     After two years in business school, I was fed up with that and they with me. I switched to journalism and my life took off. Back then, we were expected to report the news truthfully - Walter Cronkite our example. My upbringing never lies. 

     How it has changed from carefully to crookedly. Some 67 percent of Americans have little trust, including 31 percent of Democrats. We return to Gov. Ron DeSantis for a short look, summarized.

     "Regrettably, Republicans have no choice but to presume that corporate journalists operate in bad faith. If journalists can misquote a Republican, they will do it. If they tape an interview, they will edit it to make the Republican look bad. And if journalists do a really good job, they will receive the Pulitzer Prize. 

     "The younger generation is even more agenda-driven than their predecessors. They believe their role is to transform America into a progressive utopia; the only way they can wield real power. Even if a corporate executive wanted to reform, he or she would have to replace almost everyone. These organizations are made up of partisans who will oppose more balanced journalism. They can't lose subscribers who want them to reinforce their ideological worldview. 

      "On a positive note, regarding legacy outlets, gone are the days when Americans received their news through three nightly newscasts. To survive, the big corporations need conservative viewers and Republican-leaning audiences more than Republicans need them. Conservative officials recognize they can deliver their message directly to voters without biased interference." 

          Jimmy

 Who is the Authority?

     In the garden, with God no doubt looking on, Satan began scheming to undermine the authority of God's Word. " His is a counterfeit gospel, half-truths and clever lies," says Franklin Graham, who wrote that "the Word of God tells us we are created in the image of God." 

     "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you." - Jeremiah 1:5. Children are loved and saved. What happens after they are old enough to make various decisions? 

     We don't understand all this. We aren't expected to know everything. We are called to believe what He wants us to believe and attend His "school" seven days a week. (So believes this blogger, who can't perfectly follow his own advice.) Satan and his "angels" ignore unbelievers, we assume. But, they spend 24 hours a day messing with Christians who don't trust and obey. 

     Graham refers to 2 Timothy 4:3-4: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine...because they have itching ears, they will ...turn their ears away from the truth..." 

     He says, "Regardless of the darkness of this present age, the gospel remains the power of God unto salvation for all who will repent of their sin and by faith surrender their lives to King Jesus." 

     Most of us have many, many options in our American lives. Our founders and citizens were almost totally Christian. What will happen when the USA stops sending missionaries around the world? Will God love and protect countless, various institutions that create wealth?

     Who is our authority?

           Jimmy

 

     

Predicting Winners and Whiners

     As a former hardball and softball player, this blogger attempts to determine which MLB team - Yankees or Rays - will reach the post season in their division. My ride past the Rays stadium enroute to my surgery will not help. (All win-loss numbers - after Sept. 2 games.)     😊

     First, the Rays are playing the Texas Rangers this week. Why they call their team the (Ford) Rangers, who knows? Anyway, their record is 69 wins and 71 losses. Next will be the Atlanta Braves. Indians predate all our immigrants, so Braves deserve being the home team. Besides, their record is 83-57.          😆

     Then the Houston Astros come to Saint Petersburg. If they don't know how to spell astronauts, their 71-69 record is just. The Oakland Athletics come in with a 54-86 record. After Tampa Bay lost two games to the last place Metropolitans, they can't take the Athletics for granted. Last on the home schedule are the Boston Red Sox. They don't know how to spell socks, and we've never seen them with red socks. But they recently beat Saint Pete - I mean Tampa Bay - 4 straight games, and their record - 75-65 - is scary enough.       😏

     We go to Mayor Mamdani's kingdom. The Yankees won the Civil War, so their 80-60 record falls into line. Finally, if the Rays want to see America's liberty bell, it's in Philadelphia where the Phillies are 79-61. See how the league throws the best at Tampa Bay in late September? Every year. They don't want the low-budget Rays anywhere near the playoffs.   $$$                      😐

     So, what about the Sharks, I mean Rays, 83-57. They have been in first place since early July. Three players are hitting over 300. But when Aaron the Judge comes off the injured list, the Yankees may win another war. It is possible for both teams to make the playoffs. 

  What's that, honey?  College football is on TV?  Who's pitching today? 

                                                    ☝

 The Magic Kingdom of Woke Corporatism 

     We're reading "The Courage to Be Free" by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Some Republican governors are eyeing his "examples" of leadership. Following is his troubling finish to chapter 12, summarized: 

     "A woke corporate executive can use corporate bully pulpit and power to exert influence over society. ESG provides a pretext for CEOs to use shareholder assets to target issues like fossil fuels and restricting Second Amendment rights. It is a way for the political left to achieve through corporate power what they cannot achieve at the ballot box. 

     "Corporate America has become a major protagonist in battles over American politics and culture. Large, publicly traded corporations line up behind leftist causes: (against) the 2nd amendment, right to life, election integrity and religious liberty. For decades, many GOP elected officials have campaigned on free market principles, but governed in support of subsidies, tax breaks, and carve-outs to confer special benefits on corporate interests.

     "The national interest is not necessarily the same as the interests of large corporations...who become political, not merely economic actors. Deferring to big business surrenders the political battlefield to the militant left. It is prudent to counteract efforts by large corporations to impose a woke agenda on the rest of us. It is regrettable that our nation has become so politicized. 

     "Private companies wielding de facto public power are not in the best interests of most Americans. Leaders must be willing to stand up and fight back when big corporations make the mistake, as Disney did, of using their economic might to advance a political agenda." 

So, who do we vote for? Marxist Democrats will turn us into a large Cuba only they will like. 

               Jimmy