The Catholic Church in Austria has launched a new formation program to promote late vocations, aimed at men between 45 and 60 years old who are currently employed and can complete the process without having to leave their jobs.

The initiative, promoted by the Conference of Rectors of Austrian Seminaries, breaks with the traditional model of formation and preparation for priestly ordination and opts for a more flexible model as a response to the shortage of vocations.

Under the name “ Zweiten Weg für Spätberufene” (“Second Path for Late Vocations”), the program is specifically aimed at men with professional experience and offers the possibility of pursuing theological studies remotely, without requiring community life in the seminary or exclusively in-person formation, adapting to the professional demands of each candidate.

This new program also allows them to continue practicing their profession after being ordained priests — with the exception of political positions — albeit in a limited capacity, with the express authorization of their diocese and provided that their profession is compatible with the priestly ethos.

Continued below.

Hello everyone, my name is Daniel and I'm 39. I was raised in the church, fell away for a couple decades - But even then still prayed, believed, and tried not to do anything too bad (Not that I was in the right place anyway, just saying I still had the foundation.)

I'm getting back toi where God wants me to be, but it's a struggle sometimes. I left behind the sinful things I was doing, but because of that I lost most the friends I had built up over the years - and don't misunderstand, I know that was for the best, I wouldn't want to be friends with those people anymore anyway, but it's hard. - An old coworker started going to my Church through, so it was good to reconnect with him.

....I started to type a lot more but I feel like that might be better saved for a recovery section at some point...

Anyway, I would really like to make Christian friends, but if not, being part of a Christian group will be helpful to me too.

Random:
My favorite praise/worship songs are "Love Lifted Me", "Awesome God", "Trading My Sorrow", and "Jesus Is Alive". ...... And "Big House" ... But that's more fun than praise or worship.

A hospital record obtained by The Associated Press identified the woman as 37-year-old Renae Macklin-Good, though business records spelled her name as Renee Nicole Macklin Good. Calls and messages to the woman’s family were not immediately returned.

In social media accounts, Macklin Good described herself as a “Poet and writer and wife and mom” who was from Colorado and currently “experiencing Minneapolis,” and displayed a pride flag emoji.

• What the videos show: Videos taken by bystanders with different vantage points and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the vehicle at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him. It was not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer. The SUV then sped into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop. Witnesses screamed obscenities, expressing shock at what they’d seen.

I've seen multiple version of the video, both the shorter clip (that aims portray a certain narrative) that shows it from this angle


And a slightly longer clip from a different angle which is a bit grainy, but appears to show the vehicle actually making some contact with a 3rd agent standing in front of the vehicle



...but any contact appears to be minimal based on the clip.


What makes these situations tricky to assess, is that there appears to be competing "reckless sense of entitlement" between two parties in these types of exchanges.

"It's my right for me and my friends to park our cars across the road to block law enforcement if we don't agree with the law they're trying to enforce" isn't an incentive structure we should be nurturing.
vs.
"I've got the badge, I don't want any inconvenience while I do my job, you better do what I say immediately with no guff, otherwise here comes the Glock" isn't a reasonable expectation for anyone getting into the field of law enforcement, no more than a local cop thinking "I don't want to ever encounter profanity when I'm giving someone a speeding ticket"

A proposed law in Arizona could see priests facing felony charges if they fail to break the seal of confession after learning of child abuse during the sacrament.

The measure, HB 2039, was introduced in December 2025 by state Rep. Anastasia Travers. It is awaiting action in the state House after Travers prefiled it on Dec. 4.

The bill would amend the state code to require priests to report abuse learned during confession if they have “reasonable suspicion to believe that the abuse is ongoing, will continue, or may be a threat to other minors.”

Failure to report a “reportable offense” could lead to class 6 felony charges under the bill. Those charges in Arizona can lead to up to $150,000 in fines and up to two years of imprisonment.

Continued below.

If you're a parent, you may already be familiar with the emotional shift that can happen when the sun goes down. During the day, you might feel OK, but at night, the waves of anxiety can roll in: "Am I a bad parent?" "Am I doing this right?" "Is there something I could be doing better?"

As one new parent describes in a viral TikTok video, "I'm fine and happy all day, but once it hits 5 p.m. and gets dark, I just cry." It's the point in the day when you might feel most alone in your parenthood journey, spiraling over your new reality.

Though you may have never had a name for this feeling, "sundown scaries" is what many new parents are calling it on TikTok. And according to experts, it's a completely normal experience. But why do parents experience the sundown scaries? And is there any way to combat these feelings? Below, child psychologist Sandra L. Whitehouse, PhD, explains.

What Are the Sundown Scaries, and Why Do They Occur?​

Continued below.

1/8/26 Day 1

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

I am the mother of fair love, and of fear,
and of knowledge, and of holy hope.
In me is all grace of the way and of the truth;
in me is all hope of life and of virtue.
Come to me all that desire me
and be filled with my fruits (Sirach 24:24-26).

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of Grace, Hope of the world.
Hear us, your children, who cry to you.

Let us pray:

O God, who by the marvelous protection
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
has strengthened us firmly in hope,
grant we beseech You,
that by persevering in prayer at her admonition,
we may obtain the favors we devoutly implore.
Through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady of Hope

O Mary, my Mother,
I kneel before you with heavy heart.
The burden of my sins oppresses me.
The knowledge of my weakness discourages me.
I am beset by fears and temptations of every sort.
Yet I am so attached to the things of this world
that instead of longing for Heaven
I am filled with dread at the thought of death.

O Mother of Mercy,
have pity on me in my distress.
You are all-powerful with your Divine Son.
He can refuse no request of your Immaculate Heart.
Show yourself a true Mother to me
by being my advocate before His throne.
O Refuge of Sinners
and Hope of the Hopeless,
to whom shall I turn if not you?

Obtain for me, then,
O Mother of Hope,
the grace of true sorrow for my sins,
the gift of perfect resignation to God’s Holy Will,
and the courage to take up my cross and follow Jesus.
Beg of His Sacred Heart
the special favor that I ask in this novena.

(mention request here…)

But above all I pray,
O dearest Mother,
that through your most powerful intercession
my heart may be filled with Holy Hope,
so that in life’s darkest hour
I may never fail to trust in God my Saviour,
but by walking in the way of His commandments
I may merit to be united with Him,
and with you in the eternal joys of Heaven.

Amen.

Mary, our Hope,
have pity on us.

Hope of the Hopeless,
pray for us.

Hail Mary x3

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Given the way ISIS filled the power vacuum in Iraq once Sadam Hussain was gone, and the flood of questions about Venezuela following the removal of Maduro, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran is putting careful plans in place for when the Islamic Regime finally falls.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he spoke about the possibility of Iran joining the Abraham Accords in the event of a successful overthrow of the regime.

“I think Tehran will elevate it to the 'Cyrus Accord' to make Iran part of that Abraham Accord group,” he said. “That’s what I said two years ago when I was in Jerusalem and met with President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

Leading up to his visit in April 2023, he spoke warmly about possible relations with Israel in the future, saying, “Millions of my compatriots still remember living alongside their Jewish-Iranian friends and neighbors, before the Islamic Revolution tore the fabric of our society apart. They reject the regime's murderous anti-Israel and antisemitic policies and long for cultural, scientific and economic exchanges with Israel. A democratic Iran will seek to renew its ties with Israel and our Arab neighbors. In my opinion, that day is closer than ever."

The Catholic Catechism says the following:

CCC#405: Although it is proper to each individual, original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants.

CCC#417: Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin".

How does Orthodoxy view the fall? Is the part in red an acceptable description, or is something amiss with it?

Also, I thought that at one time, the Roman Catholic church accepted the idea of the guilt of Adam being ascribed to all persons under the heading of "Original Sin." Now I am being told that this is no longer a teaching of their church. Any X-Catholics care to comment on this?

I will try to recover with a physical therapist and change in medication.

I got a strong inspiration to write a certain song. The lyrics part is almost finished, just second verse is missing before I can start work on the melody and actual music to it.
But I would love to hear feedback and thoughts of the lyrics this far. Also in hope it would help to shape the missing second verse i feel bit of unsure how I would write it.


The steps are echoing in a lone room
What was once lively its now gone
Glass embroidered with white Frost
Quiet cold and beauty
An emptiness inside so deep
ooo
The words I remember so well now
The pen is finally put to rest
Signed with hope and certain
Quiet, frail, confident
The letter sealed with memories

Do not hold your tears now,
don't let bitterness stay.
The pain may stay with you,
but it is passing by
Tomorrow is coming, it is in the air.
Though I must be going, I do not say goodbye.

'Cause I know that

One day we will meet again
One day we will laugh again
One day we will hold again
One day we will be listening the raindrops

One day we will stand again
One day we will talk again
One day we will walk hand in hand,
memories carried

(2nd verse)

Do not hold your tears now,
don't let bitterness stay.
The pain may stay with you,
but it is passing by
Tomorrow is coming, it is in the air.
Though I must be going, I do not say goodbye.

'Cause I know that

One day we will meet again
One day we will laugh again
One day we will hold again
One day we will be listening the raindrops

One day we will stand again
One day we will talk again
One day we will walk hand in hand,
memories carried

One day we will see again
One day we will know again
One day we will shine again
One day we will be standing in the light

One day we will rise again
One day we will love again
One day we will be whole again
when the night's gone

Trump did not provide details on how such a ban would be implemented. Trump said he plans to outline additional housing and affordability proposals during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos in two weeks.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct:

Section 1. Purpose. (a) On February 4, 2025, I issued Executive Order 14199 (Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations). That Executive Order directed the Secretary of State, in consultation with the United States Representative to the United Nations, to conduct a review of all international intergovernmental organizations of which the United States is a member and provides any type of funding or other support, and all conventions and treaties to which the United States is a party, to determine which organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States. The Secretary of State has reported his findings as required by Executive Order 14199.

(b) I have considered the Secretary of State’s report and, after deliberating with my Cabinet, have determined that it is contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to the organizations listed in section 2 of this memorandum.

(c) Consistent with Executive Order 14199 and pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawal of the United States from the organizations listed in section 2 of this memorandum as soon as possible. For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law.

(d) My review of further findings of the Secretary of State remains ongoing.


List @ the link. Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States

If a crisis happens, you feel oppressed or overwhelmed,
don't hurry decisions, just wait, resist the best you can,
sometimes when overwhelmed by something our judgement is not ok.
Don't make decision that maybe has consequences for years or even for eternity.
Cut activities if you can't handle the pressure, rest, cut yourself some slack.
Some day it will pass.

If he Milky Way galaxy even is a spiral galaxy, how is it that our solar system does not spiral down to the center or spiral out from the center (depending if the alleged spiral galaxy is spiraling down or out)? There is either a black hole at the center or a white hole.



And we cannot detect which it is. Or even if we are in a spiral galaxy. We are in the midst of the woods trying to speculate what shape the forest is.

This woman used Bible scripture to describe how the earth, sun and moon are. Including how the moon has its own light

Heyyyy, I'm turning 18 in less than a month and looking for friends

“Stranger Things” star Caleb McLaughlin recently revealed he grew more serious about his faith over the summer, praying, stepping back from social media and returning regularly to church with his family.

“I've always felt the connection with God in my spirit from, I can't even remember the day it started,” the 24-year-old actor, who stars as Lucas Sinclair on the hit Netflix series, recently told Podcrushed.

“It’s just always been a part of me, but it's always a different level to me [now]. Because I feel like sometimes you live your life, and you kind of like, get into the world a little bit, and then you kind of stop praying sometimes, and you're like, ‘Alright, I'm praying before I go to sleep. All right, great.’ But then you have those moments like, wait, I need to pray and talk to God and ground [myself].”

“I did that a lot this summer, and I went to church a lot with my family, and I deleted Instagram and got off social media and just started grounding myself a little bit more and talking to God more, and it's been really replenishing.”

Continued below.

“It is for that reason, and much more, that I am immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and I will be calling on Congress to codify it. People live in homes, not corporations,” he added.

Private equity giants, real estate investment trusts and other large institutional investors have amassed sizable portfolios of single-family rental homes over the past decade. Many have argued that these investments have reduced housing supply for would-be homeowners and helped drive up prices.


I would hope that this effort would get some bipartisan support.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'm curious to hear folks' skepticism that there will not be an election held this year. There is a lot of chaos being sown by, well, a chaos based administration.

1 being ABSOLUTELY certain an election would take place.

10 being ABSOLUTELY certain there will not be an election.

I mean, I haven't been a 1 since Trump was elected. I haven't thought for a moment he would work in service to his country. As ICE began to be deployed, I figured it was a matter of time before their troglyditic heavy handed measures began to tick people off too much (as hard as they are trying) and folks would start to fight back.

Now we have ICE shooting a Minneapolis woman in the face.

I'm gonna put this my number at, say....

I tried to find out some years ago how gravity really works, why it attracts other objects:

I think it`s like if you take a magnet, it absorbs energy and it sends it in orbits around the core. Like waves, but everything within the wave get`s pulled in to the center, because the gravity-waves penerates your body or object. The closer to to core, the shorter the wave is and you get pulled in-wards faster and faster as the wave get`s shorter.

In empty air, vacuum, there`s no air above it to push it down, so it falls more or less freely. Do you get my idea, the gravity-ripples penetrates the body and psychially pulls it to the center of the magnet:




I was originally made fun of for this idea, they ridiculed me. But you can actually observe that if you rub a strain of cotton for example, the closer your finger is to the strain of cotton, the faster it pulls into your finger. I made a basic picture to show

Why was it a big deal that they captured him and his wife, when he wasn`t a president? He was just a drug-baron as far as the court in the us knew in advance. In reality there was just 2-3 helicopters flying to a guy`s home. Was is blown up just to make the us look good? Of course the us can take Venezuela like russia took on ukraine based on size, but they never win anyways nether of them, there`s always people left figthing.

And Maduro limped I saw when he was getting of the helicopter, so the americans have been brutal also. Isn`t it kinda, what to say, doesn`t it show the current status of people around the world then they try to lie abut taking over a country in just hours, that`s not even enough time for the ground-troops to get on boots. People on the ground said they saw missiles from the us, but they never hit anything

Some of the mob jumped on the front of an ICE vehicle. Police were able to control the mob, it appeared to be tear gas that was used.

A historic Dallas church will keep its LGBT rainbow-painted front steps as a temporary art installation after getting approval from city planners.

The Dallas Landmark Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness on Monday, allowing the LGBT-inclusive Oak Lawn United Methodist Church to retain its rainbow-painted front steps for the next three years.

A task force subcommittee had recommended denial, citing Dallas Development Code provisions requiring painting to match existing material colors, according to an agenda from Monday’s meeting.

The church's front steps were painted last October in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's directive ordering cities to remove political or activist symbols and artwork from public spaces, such as those on crosswalks and public streets.

Designated a Dallas Landmark in 1984, Oak Lawn UMC was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, and recognized with a State Historic Marker in 1974 for its large brick structure, Gothic-influenced architecture and significant art glass windows and brick terra cotta detailing in the contemporary style of affluent 1920s Dallas.

Continued below.

Is Greenland America's reward for bringing peace between Russia and Ukraine and getting Ukraine to concede land to Russia.

Just speculating here, but it has always seemed to me to be quite ridiculous that the USA announces its intent to annex Greenland without actually doing anything but annoy its allies and the people of Greenland in the process. If they really want it then it would happen, its not as though anyone could stop them.

There are some good strategic reasons to do this:
1) America is better equipped to police this territory against Russian or Chinese incursions than are the Danes even despite recent Danish investment
2) America would gain control of the rare earth resources that global warming is exposing on the island.
3) It fits the Monroe (Donroe) doctrine version of American isolationism favored by Trumps Republicans, securing the continental USA against Great power incursions

There are also some really good reasons not to do this:
1) It would set the USA in direct conflict with another NATO member Denmark and with the wider EU and possibly split the alliance irreparably
2) It is not what the people of Greenland want and so the USA would be storing up trouble for the future as well as sabotaging its international reputation.
3) America could gain most of the military and economic benefits of Greenland's mines and location without annexation.

So why is Trump mouthing off about Greenland while not doing anything. If he loses the midterms I guess this policy gets benched forever but maybe he never thought he would have to wait this long for peace in Ukraine. His plan was make peace, stop excessive Russian advance into Europe, gain a whole bunch of rare earth concessions from the Ukrainians and then as his reward for helping Europe out to get Greenland. With Greenland secured and the Russians and Chinese driven out of Venezuela and Cuba bankrupt, He would have much of the Americas stabilized under USA dominance.

So why hasn't he got a peace deal yet? Is Putin dragging out the war until after the midterms when he thinks he can dictate terms to a weakened Trump and stop Trump taking Greenland also? Obviously this would suit Chinese interests also. Perhaps this would explain that 'hidden something' that Putin appeared to have on Trump that seemed to make Trump consistently pro-Russian and blind to war atrocities. If Greenland was the swap for Russia gaining Ukrainian territory then this explains Putin's apparent leverage over Trump in Alaska and throughout the negotiation process, along with some naughty pictures??!!.

It would also have extremely worrying implications for NATO. It would mean that Trump has always intended to split the alliance but was cool headed enough to understand that he had to secure peace in Ukraine first. He has a stronger negotiation position with Europe on board but after peace he no longer needs them.

This close to a deal in Ukraine is this all nonsense or an explanation why the deal might yet fall through. Just a theory - what do you think`?

Again, this is speaking to believers in Jesus Christ. In context we are being instructed to be followers of God, of Jesus Christ, who emulate the Lord in our words, thoughts, and behaviors. Immorality and impurity of any kind must not have any place in our lives at all. For no immoral person who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. So we are not to be deceived into thinking that we can be of genuine faith in Jesus Christ and still deliberately and habitually do what we know is immoral and wicked.

For, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, we were crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as servants of God and of his righteousness. So, in reference to our former manner of life, we lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and we are renewed in the spirit of our minds, and we put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness.

[Ephesians 5:3-6; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Galatians 5:16-24; 1 John, chaps 1-3]

Now our walks of faith have to do with our lifestyles, the way we live, the things we do and say, and who we are in character when no one else is around, and when no one else is watching. And it is who we are in principle and in practice regardless of who we are with. In other words, we are not chameleons who change character depending upon who we are around. And we are not people pleasers who try to do and say what we know is going to get us liked by most people. But we remain true to God and to his word.

And this is wisdom. This is being careful how we walk, not careful in the sense that we try to please other humans, or that we try to appear better than we really are, but careful to remain true to God and to his word in holy living and in doing what is pleasing to him and that which will represent him well when we are with others. And I am not saying we will always do this with absolute perfection every time, or that we will never fail in this at any time, but that we should maintain the same godly character in daily practice.

For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross to put our sins to death with him so that, by faith in him, we will now die to sin and obey his commands, in practice. For he bought us back for God with his blood out of addiction to sin so we will now serve our Lord by living holy lives, pleasing to God, in his power.

[Titus 2:11-14; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21]

And to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is not about sitting through a “worship service” led by a “worship leader” who leads all the singing and who chooses all the songs for us to sing. This is about us, one by one, sharing with each other the truths of the Scriptures in poetry or in song or in verse for the mutual encouragement of one another in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord in holy living. This is what the body of Christ (the church) should look like, with each part doing its work.

[Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

When I Was Walking

An Original Work / January 16, 2020
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

When I was walking along the way,
My Lord was with me, and He did say,
“My child I’m with you. I hear you pray,
‘Oh, help me, Lord! Need You today!’”

He is my friend, near to the end.
Gently leads me. His servant be.
He helps me pray – knows what to say.
He’s all I need. On Him I feed.

When I am wond’ring of what to do,
He gently leads me to what is truth.
He is my helper. He strengthens me.
When I’m in want, supplies my need.

He comforts me with all His love.
Gives me His grace from heav’n above.
I heed His call to watch and pray,
To guard my heart throughout each day.

When He is calling to come to Him,
To let Him lead you, trust Him within,
How will you answer to Him today?
Will you say, “Yes, Lord, have your way”?

Do not neglect to let Him in,
Cleanse you from sin, made new within.
Leave all your sin, obey your Lord,
Trust in His Word – His mighty Sword.

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What The Will of The Lord Is
An Original Work / January 7, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love