Washington Passes the Buck 

     We don't enjoy this, but maybe we need to know more truth in our politicians. 

     White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt - soon to leave Washington for a different work...mother of three children...listed nine examples of Democratic officials describing the president as fascist, dictator etc. For the record, in government it is possible to lie big time, but impossible with three independent branches - for one branch to serve like Marxists. So far. 

     President Trump has escaped three assassination attempts. 😟

     Many Republicans and Democrats blame each other for problems. A number of citizens in both parties think some violence could be acceptable. Our Constitution and many laws are designed to settle every case without the need for violence. Conservative and liberals blame each other. America wasn't formed for political parties. That lasted for eight years, until George Washington's terms ended.  

     Many lawmakers have received death threats. Can't they sustain policy criticism without personal criticism? "Boy, that's a problem in a free society," said a retired professor at George Washington U. 

     Sen. Cory Booker suggests, "Every American needs to choose whether he or she will add to the toxicity or be a healer." Sen. Thom Tillis calls "violent political rhetoric a bipartisan affliction." In the past several years he has received death threats over voicemail and threats to his home. Still, he rejects the presumption that toning down the rhetoric means not responding to intimidation tactics. "We just have different ideological worldviews." 

     The WORLD news reporter who wrote this memo said, "I can find as many examples of Republicans and conservatives saying (expletive) they shouldn't say as I can liberals." 

               Jimmy

 America Through the Years

                       Historian John Gordon on economic values. 

What enabled American economic flourishing?

     Simply freedom. People were free to take risks. 

America has been lucky?

     We're blessed with incredible geography. We front both the Atlantic and the Pacific. In 1940 the U.S. Army was smaller than the army of Belgium. 

How is the U.S. a different kind of world power? 

     We are the most powerful country because of wealth we created. We didn't take it. 

What else made us unique?

     Here, fortunes quickly get dispersed. None of the families of the Gilded Age are on the Forbes 400 list today.

The Wealth of Nations. Why is that important? 

     When power is distributed under the rule of law, you can create much more wealth. Individuals can do more creative things with wealth than governments can. 

What do people miss about economic history?

      The Bernie Sanders of this world seem to think if somebody gets richer then somebody else has to get poorer. Who is poorer because Jeff Bezos is so immensely rich? The whole country is much richer thanks to his bright ideas.

What concerns you about the U.S. economy today?

     The size of the national debt. In 1974, Congress passed the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. The debt immediately began to spiral out of control. The money has been spent on getting senators and congressmen reelected. 

What makes you hopeful?

     I'm an optimist by nature. I'm not a very religious person, but the U.S. does indeed seem to have someone watching over us. 

                                                # 

Exceptionally Rare 

     A woman in her twenties in Israel has made a full recovery after surgeons removed her entire sternum and sections of several ribs to extract an exceptionally rare tumor - one described in only 20 some cases worldwide. 

     Our friend in Israel, formerly of Pittsburgh, sent this article to us.     

     To rebuild her chest, surgeons designed and implanted a fully customized 3D-printed chest cage made from PEKK, a high-performance carbon fiber polymer used in the aerospace industry. It's the first procedure of its kind performed in Israel. 

     The implant was designed specifically for her anatomy, mimicking the strength and flexibility of natural bone while allowing surrounding tissue to gradually integrate with it over time.

     "Rare cases require creative solutions," said Dr. Yury Peysakhovich, head of thoracic surgery at Beilinson Hospital. 

     "The patient was discharged after several days and is recovering well. Israeli medicine, once again pushing the boundaries of what's possible," said a spokesperson for the hospital. 

                                  This story stands alone. 

  

Final Marxist Realities 

     Tenth, Marxists never learn from history and thus are doomed to repeat it, even after the carnage that has been generated by their dystopian policies for more than a century. Dystopian: When people lead demonized and often fearful lives.   

     Someone once noted that doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. That's the Marxist playbook in a nutshell.

     Eleventh, Marxists glorify vices and demonize traditional virtues even while they carry out virtue signaling. They condescendingly lecture us about upholding democracy and liberty while they attempt to erode economic freedom, educational freedom, and individual freedom. Condescend: A feeling of patronizing superiority. 

     Finally, Marxism is highly immature. Marxists rarely learn from the past and thus triple down on failure. They blame others for their own fascist behavior, which is an example of denial and projection. Fascist: Political philosophy, movement that exalts a nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government led by dictatorial, right wing, authoritarian, oppressive, domineering groups. 

     They demand to get what other folks have earned, which is childish and immoral. Marxists side with totalitarian entities and mob rule while opposing the sole Middle East democracy, Israel. Marxists only embrace law enforcement when it protects unlawful immigrants and themselves, and when it is used to punish law-abiding folks. This is why it is imperative to vigorously oppose Marxism by all means necessary. 

                                             by Christian Milord

educator and writer

Marxists' False Promises

  Part 3 of 4

     Seventh, Marxists promise freedom and security to those who join their cause, yet wealth is stolen from others. Security exists only for those at the top of the pyramid. In other words, everyone is equally miserable under Marxism except for the jackbooted leaders who profit from the spoils acquired from their legalized theft. Jackbooted: military boot, ruthlessly and violently oppressive. 

     For proof, examine the misery index of folks in China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia. 

     Eighth, it's puzzling why Marxists who reside in free societies lack the courage to move to the autocratic societies they admire. Autocratic: Ruling with unlimited authority. Is it because they don't even believe the mantras they keep repeating, or do they want to have their cake and eat it, too? Mantras: Sacred counsel or formula. 

     They denounce the blessings of free enterprise and liberty at the same time as they partake of them. Unfortunately, they have taken their blessings for granted. Do they really want to transform the United States into a dysfunctional nation that has constant shortages of goods and services." 

     Ninth, Marxism promotes the darker facets of human nature rather than its nobler strivings. Facets: subjects. Marxists turn lies into the truth and truth into lies. They oppose the arts, constructive creativity and innovation, and constantly push monolithic groupthink instead of critical thinking. Monolithic: a massive single unit. In other words, Marxism is extremely boring and lacks a sense of humor. 

Conclusion tomorrow

     - by Christian Milord 

Marxist Socialism

  Continuing where we left off with realities...

     Fourth, Marxists compete with one another to see who's the best liar as they deceive the vulnerable who might believe promises that are too good to be true. Marxists use deception as a means to control the masses and keep them on their heels. 

     They talk a good game about socialism as a paradise on earth yet do everything they can to turn that alleged nirvana into a hell on earth.  

     Fifth, Marxism is the arbitrary system built on a foundation of contradictions. Arbitrary: Depending on individual discretion not law. Not restrained in exercise of power. 

     It can hand out some goodies but just as easily withdraw them.  Marxists believe they can alter laws whenever they feel the urge, thus using raw power to confuse and divide people and consolidate power in the hands of a few. Arbitrary laws can hinder people from advancing economically and can also create insecurity. 

     Sixth, for an ideology that claims that it will usher in equality, Marxism certainly is fixated on economic class, color, gender and race. Apparently, some are more equal than others. Instead of equal opportunity, Marxists favor the equity of prearranged outcomes. Equity: Justice according to natural law. 

     Many Marxist spokespeople are educated academics who pretend victimhood and fear competition in the real world...yet believe they are smarter than everyone else. They have learned nothing about good citizenship and wisdom, while displaying a commonsense deficit. Marxists envy folks who keep their noses to the grindstone and lash out at those who possess discipline, deferred gratification and a healthy work ethic. 

Six more realities of Marxism

    by Christian Milord

 

God bless as you worship Him today.

              (Change of mind. We go straight to our series on Marxists.)

12 Realities of Marxist Socialism 

    by Christian Milord

     "First, Marxism was founded on the concept of atheism (disbelief in God). It attempts to dismantle the Judeo-Christian faith that has been an anchor of civilization for thousands of years and helps people to navigate life's challenges. 

     "Marxists also oppose the traditional family, the building block of any culture. In every life category, intact families are far more successful than broken families.

     "Second, Marxist policies encourage folks to be intellectually and physically lazy as they rely on bureaucratic government for all their needs. This reliance generates an entitlement mentality that expects others to supply the needs of those who refuse to accept personal responsibility. 

     "Minimal effort is applied to studying and working, yet the 'entitled' expect to earn high salaries regardless of the effort they put forth.

     "Third, Marxists are quite generous with money confiscated from job creators, but they are stingy with their own money. However, most of the money and possessions seized by Marxist leaders end up with their cronies and are not redistributed to the lower income workers they claim to be helping. The hypocrisy is staggering." 

Continued tomorrow.

We suggest printing these blogs on Marxism

to keep them in mind through the election and beyond. 

Realities of Marxist Socialism 

     Not today, but we have for Monday viewpoints by Christian Milord, an educator, mentor and writer in California. 

     What's up? Milord this week updated his commentary of 2025, regarding collectivism, communism, progressivism and socialism. We found his "viewpoint" in THE EPOCH TIMES, which we read daily. 

     Commentary 

     "In a free society that embraces free markets and the rule of law, young people must be made aware of the 'fuzzy and warm' nature of Marxist iterations." 

     Milord uses some words that required us to dust off our dictionary. Iterations mean repeating to get a desired result. 

     His 12 Glaring Realities of Marxist Socialism is so compelling we just have to share it with you who haven't already read it. We want our families and friends to live the American dream, don't we? Even though it isn't perfect. No one is perfect. You noticed how many socialists, progressives etc. won Democratic primaries. 

     The Democratic Party is now communist, or close to it, like Cuba. We don't know what normal Democrats might do. But we can't pin our hopes this year or next...or whenever...on politicians who care more about themselves than you and me. 

                                     Remember, Monday

        

Our Sins, Like Scarlet 

     It's a picture of being stained with blood. 

     We try to "bleach" our lives with church attendance and good deeds. But under heaven's light, the stain remains. We cannot self-clean sin. 

     Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. - Hebrews 9:22. The Jewish people understood that. Sacrifice. But the blood of bulls and goats could never erase the stain.  

The Blood of Jesus 

     It doesn't lighten the stain. It replaces it, if we believe. His blood covers our guilt, our stain. We are purchased, cleansed. We are not our own. We are bought with the very blood of Jesus. 

     There is no conference or self-help book - worthy though they may be - just the blood. That's why we value communion, to remind us of what Jesus did for us. 

     Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. - Isaiah 1:18. 

Thank you, pastor

     

 Happiest Surprise Ever 

     An evening church service. January 1987. When it ends, the man goes to his car, opens the door...and is flooded with joy he never knew existed. He drives to his apartment, laughing and crying and pounding his steering wheel. Monday: Office employees see the new man. Joyful emotion lasts three weeks. He replaces his faith...with FAITH! He was not done with Psalms. 

I will exalt you Lord, for you lifted me out of the depth. - Psalm 30:1 

O Lord my God; I called you for help, and you healed me. - Psalm 30:2 

     Never again could this father live with his children. Years after their experiments in life, each one and their dad all live in different states. They visit him.   

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. - Psalm 30:11-12 

I rejoice in your love, for you knew the anguish of my soul. -  Psalm 31:7

The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18. 

When I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation. - Psalm 71:18 

     He is old and gray, 40 years later.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. - Psalm 94:19.

He turned his ear to me; I will call on him as long as I live. - Psalm 116:2 

I waited patiently. He heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit. He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. - Psalm 40:1-2 

      No need for another wife. Later on, a Christian woman called her Christian sister 60 miles south. That led to another Christian woman and the man meeting each other at a restaurant. Not a date. After 3-hours of talk, mostly about faith, each went home. No thoughts. 

     He crawled into bed. God spoke silently into his mind: 

I have reserved her for your wife. 

😉

His Life Crumbles

     To continue supporting the family, he accepts a job 60 miles from home. His kids - he loves deeply - don't want to leave their friends. His wife wants a divorce. He dives even deeper into his Bible. 

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts? - Psalm 13:2.

I acknowledged my (lifelong) sins. - Psalm 32:5

I cried out to God for help. When I was in distress I sought the Lord. My soul refused to be comforted. My spirit grew faint. - Psalm 77:1-3

Hear my prayer O Lord. Let my cry for help come to you. Don't hide your face from me when I am in distress. - Psalm 102:1-2. 

     He begins to lose weight. 

The cords of death entangled me. The anguish of the grave came upon me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. - Psalm 116:3-4

Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him. For he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me and I will answer him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. - Psalm 91:14-18

     More than two months ending 1986, the man searched God's word. He has not heard from Father God. Christmas Day was hardest. 

😒 

What might 1987 bring? 

Our Helper 

     In this sometimes-crazy world, we need help that no human can provide. For possibly three years Jesus walked with and taught his disciples. Were they ready to go save the world? He told them to wait for one more thing... "power from on high."  

     So, they waited...and were surprised beyond human knowledge when God filled them with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. - Acts 2. Jesus had told them He would be with them "always, to the very end of the age." Not visibly. 

     While Jesus, born "the Son," said nothing that his Father in heaven hadn't taught him, He is now the commander. Our co-equal God was and is ruler of the world. As we understand it, the Spirit passes our prayers to the Son, and He to the Father. Life happens. The Trinity made the world for a reason (Genesis 1) and we are invited to join the family, now and forever. There is a forever penalty for not joining. 

The Man, the Defeat, the Victory 

     Wednesday and Thursday Views offers the story of a man raised in the church, went his own way, lost his family, and pestered God (if He is real). We tell his story through 16 verses in Psalms, written from the 10th to 5th centuries B.C. 

     This will be unlike any blog we have written in our 11 plus years. 

 America's Christian Roots 

     Is America a Christian nation? We don't have a legal religion and a state church. Is Christianity central to American history? "Certainly so," says R. Albert Mohler Jr. in WORLD magazine. 

     "The entire culture was saturated with Christianity and Christian influence. In the 1830s, Frenchman Alexis de Tocquevill described religion as the first among the America's political institutions. By 1776, over 90% of the population identified with faith. Even some deists insisted on the authority of Christian morality." 

     "Early Americans had no explanation for the universe, for their own lives, for the passing of time, or for the meaning of human liberty...apart from God's providence. They weren't all Christians, but they believed the biblical worldview was essential."

     "A law professor noted that modern secular liberalism has attempted to deny and replace the providential (favorable time) moral authority. Liberalism attempts to make all claims of value stand unrestrained, without foundation. Christianity is a triune Creator who infused all of creation with moral truth. Christianity is founded upon the Bible and God's gracious gift of scriptural revelation."  

     Mohler concludes, "If secular liberalism reigns supreme, civilizational collapse is inevitable. If Americans reclaim and reassert the affirmations held by the founding generation and treasured for generations, there is hope. Secularism offers no basis for genuine hope...no cement to hold society together. It leaves every moral good vulnerable."

     "Is America a Christian nation? At the least this would require a recovery of the Christian consensus. Can this consensus be recovered? We must pray that it can...and will." 

Also 

     In God we trust. (motto of the USA)

     Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. - Psalm 33:12 

     If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. - John 8:36 

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Summary of Differences

     We worship only on Sundays in church. Or we also worship during the week as our faith leads us. Today we have a question: Does the Prosperity Gospel please God? We searched the internet. 

     The Prosperity Gospel teaches that God desires all Christians to be financially wealthy, physically healthy and successful. They claim that believers can use faith to get whatever they desire, especially material wealth. What about Christians living in the poorest nations?

     Another view. Scripture does not teach that God guarantees health and wealth. Jesus warned, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal - Matthew 6:19. The Bible calls us to be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5) and warns against love of money. And, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil - 1 Timothy 6:10.

     Do we pursue worldly riches, or Christ himself? The Bible calls us to take up our cross and follow Jesus - Luke 9:23. Paul wrote ...godliness with contentment is great gain. Spiritual riches, not necessarily material wealth. 

     You say, most all were poor in the first century A.D. Well, there must have been some wealth, or Jesus and Paul wouldn't have warned people about loving money. There are more differences we may blog sometime. Or, you can search "Summary of Differences." 

                    Jimmy

     

God's Creation Continues

  See yesterday's blog.

     Each ear of corn has an even number of rows. Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains. Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one. One row has an even number and the next row an odd number. 

     The waves of the sea roll on shore 26 waves to the minute in all kinds of weather. 

     All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirty-fold, sixty-fold and a hundred-fold. 

     God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain times during the day. Carl Linnaes, a Swedish botanist in the 18th century, said that if he had a conservatory with the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those closed. 

     Humans aren't identical. None of us have the same fingerprints. But we all have one heart and soul. Might our lives be ordered by the Lord who made eggs, foods, grains, flowers and animals? Could our brains and invisible hearts be guided by Him to a profitable end?  

                                               !

More Evidence of Creation

     Does God have a sense of humor? Does He speak through his creation?

     The eggs of a potato bug hatch in 7 days. Canary eggs in 14 days. Those of a barnyard hen in 21 days. 

     The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days. Those of the mallard in 35 days. Eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.

     All divisible by seven, the days of a week. 

     God's making of the elephant: It's four legs all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that elephants' huge body is too large for two legs. He gave it four fulcrums so it can rise easily from the ground. (A fulcrum is the point a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots.) 

     The horse rises from the ground first on its two front legs. A cow rises with its two hind legs first. 

     God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as in the number of grains. Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind. Each orange has an even number of segments.  

                               Continued tomorrow

Lamb Conquers Serpent

     Adam and Eve are guilty. God speaks to the serpent (the devil). A Seed is coming. The Seed will be bruised, but the serpent's head will be crushed.  

     The Seed is Jesus. Much later, at the cross it seemed the serpent had won. Jesus' disciples had feared so. But Jesus rose from the grave and is forever Lord of Lords. Among other names, He is the "Lamb that was slain." God allows the battle to continue, but Satan knows he is defeated.

     Football and basketball games continue until the time is over. One team leading by 20 points with only a minute on the clock ... play on.  

     Life and death. Fight on. There are countless people who aren't yet listed in the book of life. Jesus wants more people - his bride - to join him at "the wedding supper of the Lamb," (Revelation 19), before He returns - with them/us - to begin his millennium on earth. 

     So, the Trinity has been here and everywhere all along. Every covenant, every promise, every moment. God's first two humans let him down. As do all of us. He wants to redeem what He calls His people. 

     If the enemy has power over us, we gave it to him. He is defeated.

Prayer: Jesus, teach me not to give into fear, shame and accusation. Today I choose to walk in your victory and life. Amen.

 What Begat This Project? 

   Continued

      In the Forward of family history, I wrote: "Amateur moralist we may be; scientist we're not. A few scribbled notes at a Christmas-season dinner table led to this laborious project ... but a labor of love. 

     "Love always hopes and always endures. The reader may enjoy a Yankee soldier's recollections. Or marvel at the man who walked 58 miles to school. We found handwritten notes from the same era Katherine Lee Bates wrote America the Beautiful. We received photos that predate the U.S. income tax. 

     "There were puzzles to solve ... taking pieces of hazy memory and determining where to place them. We began to love people again for the first time. We awoke in the night, strangely enjoying their memories. Our stories begin when agrarian orientation dominated the life and structure of the USA, and end when modernization had begun to turn us inside out. 

     "The reader can judge whether we're better off with satellites and internets than we were with 8th-grade education, or less, superstitions notwithstanding. Their stories have passed through filters of the author's biases, and the reader will find lapses of literary license. 

     I ended the Forward with a tease of the first two chapters: Civil War. 

     "Now, dear reader, raise the footstool of your electric chair and load your musket. As you prepare for the fight, consider that if the trajectory of a Confederate bullet had been an inch on either side of the Yankee rifle it hit, 12 of 16 of these chapters might not have been written. Come to think of it, this author wouldn't be here either. Humbling, isn't it? 

     "On to Richmond!" 

                                    Tomorrow: Lamb conquers serpent

      

 Returning Home with Joy...

     ...the title of my book in 1996. Working in South Carolina then, we wrote about family...parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins...in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Wyoming and Ohio. They contributed memories and pictures, some of them from the 1800s. Yes, we all wrote the book. 

     None of the relatives are still living, including my younger cousin who made 38 of the 90-page books in his printing shop. He would not take my money. 

     We won't bother you with the content, including a great uncle's service in the Civil War. But, history can teach. Here is a part of my Forward: 

     "Propeller planes begat television, begat jetliners, begat spaceships. Horses and buggies begat trains, begat trolleys, begat cars and trucks, begat radios, begat television. (Imagine how this would read today.) 

     "Character begats optimism, and usually prosperity and peace. People of character believe in a better tomorrow, that obstacles exist to be overcome, and that this country has a strong and beneficial role in the world. In our family stories covering more than 90 years, the reader will find rich memories of warm people who worked together. 

     "Working together. There may be the secret to "family values" we hear about, and some are trying to restore. Somewhere along the line of begats, we overcame the need to pull together. So, this writer won't praise too much the children born among gardens and sowing needles or criticize children born among supermarkets and mega-malls." 

     "G.K. Chesterton: 'The family is the factory that manufactures mankind.' If that is true, we have a problem with those who redefine the family. The magazine goes on to say that 'agreement is rare on what kind of family is better at manufacturing mankind.' America is increasingly a culture that celebrates individualism. Some offer an opinion on what type of family is best. These are social scientists." 

                                       Conclusion tomorrow 

Believe it or Not 

     Your blogger knew someone who lived during our Civil War. How is that possible? 

     First, the "someone" was born in 1864. The Civil War did not end for another year. Ora Dilley would eventually become my grandfather.

     He fathered three boys and three girls, one of which eventually became my mother, Mary Elizabeth. She was born in 1906, gave birth to me in 1938 and named me James. She lived 97 years. 

     Grandpa lived 36 years in the 19th century and another 53 years in the 20th, for a total of 89. He went way beyond average length of life in those times. Even beyond today's average. 

     I lived the last 15 years of his life. There were occasional visits to or by my grandparents. The man born during the Civil War. 

     The 162-year total for the three of us isn't over...yet. I inherited long life, but we take it a day at a time as the Lord commands.

            James

PS. Grandpa Ora did a variety of work while he was still single. There were no cars or trucks in the 1800s. Maybe trains, and horses. He lived near Pittsburgh when he chose to walk all the way to Edinboro, 58 miles, carrying two suitcases. He attended a school, but we don't know what level. Come time to return home, he walked again. 

Tuesday: My very own book