I personally think .999 fine silver is the way to go. I think people may have a hard time dealing with the junk 90% silver because they would still want to give them the face value instead of the silver value. I mean a 1960 dime is a dime in most folks eyes. But a silver coin that is marked .999 fine/pure silver is easier to think of as worth more. Look into Goldbacks. It's real gold foil bills that can be used like cash in some states by places that accept it. I think right now there are about 8-9 states that have approved gold and silver to be used as legal form of payment. But it is still up to the business to decide if they will allow it. Also https://www.goldeneaglecoin.com/ has a low minimum purchase to get free shipping. Many places you have to spend $200 to get free shipping but Golden eagle coin only requires a $99 minimum purchase.

Oompa Loompa said:

Because Biden and Harris hate Trump more than they care about honoring the fallen.

Click to expand...

That’s one opinion.

Oompa Loompa said:

There is no other way to explain it.

Click to expand...

There’s a myriad ways to explain why neither decided to take the offer up, why limit us?

Thus is interesting. I think this will be a very close election. The debate may be a critical step in determining who wins.

com7fy8 said:

The way I was Catholic was not right. But things I was taught helped to keep me from getting in a lot more trouble than I did.

But I was not personal with God. I was inventing what I supposed God wanted, using Catholic things I was told. But I was not submitting to God, in order to share with Him and discover what He had me doing.

And I did not have rest in my soul, which Jesus guarantees us while we do what He has us doing >

"'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)

And I did not get loving women. I would judge a woman by how attractive and intelligent she was; and if she was not impressive, I could look down on her.

So, I was horrible.

And that did not come from being Catholic, but from my own character.

Of course, I did not share personally enough with people who were Christian, so they could spot how anti-love I was, and help me.

And later, in evangelical circles, I could get fooled. But Jesus had me discovering things in the Bible, about loving any and all people, and seeking God for real character correction > Hebrews 12:4-14.

And I have had examples of gentle and kind and humble people along with ones fooling themselves.

The ones examples for me have not had labels. They trust Jesus and love, and help others. They always have wisdom to know how to relate with me.

But being with the real ones includes the risks of being with the ones they reach to, who can be right in their churches and who even can have so-called ministries in their churches.

So, we need to be able to tell the difference. But I suspect ones can withdraw and fear others, because they know they can't tell the difference, and so yes they can get hurt.

But with Jesus we can be guided reliably in our relating, according to what He knows about each person and what He knows He wants us to do.

Trust is not blind, by the way. Jesus has proven Himself, plus He makes us able to know how people are, plus to know if and how God has us trust each one.

"Test all things; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

I now understand this means to make sure with God about everything, and especially do not evaluate anyone by one's claims and how the person might act nice and talk smart.

Click to expand...

I haven't found a church in my very rural area that feels right to me. I also study with the Shepherd's Chapel. It's on TV at 5am weekdays here in Southern Missouri but can also be found online on youtube and their website ShepherdsChapel.com You can listen to the study of the day or even stream it. It is simple, straight up Bible reading, chapter and verse. No nonsense. Even referencing much back to the original texts (Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek ) for clarity and verification. At the end of each Bible study they have a question and answer from people that called or mailed in questions. Sometimes I learn more from the Q&A than just the readings. I have yet to find a church that teaches this way, and it always makes sense.

In this video, we talk about the true meaning of obedience to God, beyond just following rules. Discover how living out the teachings of the Bible can transform your life, deepen your faith, and bring you closer to God. Through the story of Abraham, we learn the importance of trusting God’s plan, even when it doesn't make sense. Join us for a heartfelt prayer, asking for guidance, strength, and a spirit of obedience that aligns with God's will.

Login to view embedded media

YouTube Channel Video Devo
Login to view embedded media
“Welcome Home: Your Journey Is Just Beginning”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

1 week ago Friday, we took my oldest daughter to move into her college dorm and spent the day doing various things. While in the dining hall for lunch, I noticed a tv on the wall with this saying, “Welcome Home: Your Journey Is Just Beginning”. This definitely stirred the emotions that were already inside of me as I knew this was now her new home. I sat there, very excited for her, but very sad that she was now going to be on her own and out of the home.

As I thought about this phrase, it gave me a sense of peace knowing that she is in good hands and will be well taken care of at this college. Her next journey of life and her new home is just beginning. It makes me think of different journeys we have throughout life.

When we start dating someone, our new journey is just beginning. When we get married, our new journey is just beginning. When we have our first child, our journey is just beginning. When we graduate high school and move to college, our journey is just beginning. When we start a new job, our journey is just beginning.

We start a lot of new journeys in life and they can bring on many mixed feelings. We’re excited, nervous, terrified, full of anxiety, etc. We have all been filled with mixed feelings when starting something new.

As we walked off campus Friday night and left my daughter there, I kept thinking about her new journey and all the wonderful life experiences she will have in the coming days, weeks, months and years. I felt very happy for her, but I also felt very emotional leaving as our journey was just beginning coming home with one child gone from home.

Sometimes, we don’t want things to change in life and we’re scared of new beginnings for whatever reason. I was just chatting with a co-worker today that is leaving our company and beginning the same position in a different company. She mentioned doing it all over again and being nervous about a new place.

None of us are exempt from feeling the mixed emotions of new journeys. However, we must always remember that, no matter the new journey, God is always with us wherever we go.

There’s such a welcoming feeling reading those words, “Welcome Home: Your Journey is Just Beginning”. That brings feelings of anticipating really great and new things in life. We must choose to embrace the unknown at every new journey. God is with us and will always guide us.

Dale said:

Forget the idea that illegal aliens are voting. You’ve been misled on that.

You do have a point about the candidates being too eager to hand out tax benefits to vote when they are running for office. Both Harris and Trump are saying that they won’t tax tips. Of course, they can say that it isn’t their fault if Congress never passes these proposals. Part of the problem is that many voters don’t seem to understand that giving someone a tax deduction is about the same as writing them a check from the Treasury. If the government cuts taxes somewhere, then the deficit goes up, or someone else has to pay more tax.

Click to expand...

It's just the first one that came up on Google. THere are many more.

GoldenBoy89 said:

The border being a mess has been a rallying cry of the right for my entire life. It wasn’t just magically resolved for the duration of the Trump administration. Any solutions Biden, Harris or Trump could have come up with still wouldn’t absolve Congress from their responsibility in creating this mess and not addressing it at all.

Click to expand...

Closing the borders is within the purview of the executive branch. The mess is that ;ew're not controlling the borders at all. Bills proposing "pathways to citizenship", while maybe a desirable thing, are worthless to stop the flow of illegals into the US.

Me? I speak Spanish, albeit poorly. My mom was a legal immigrant (from Korea). A number of my Catholic brethren are immigrants from Latin American, as good neighbors as one could ask, some legal, some not. So I'm far from "anti immigrant".

BUT... you can't just fling open the doors and holler "Y'all come!" and expect anything good to come of it. I know if I'm a Mexican criminal with los Federales on my tail, and I know that I can cross the border into the US but they can't, I'm heading north as fast as my stolen car will carry me. Same thing if I'm a poor jobless dude with a family that needs feeding, and I know that the INS will give us 3 hots and a cot if we make it across the line, then I'm headed thataway, with the frau und kinder (OK different immigrants) in tow. AND, if I'm a Bad Guy who wants to commit a few depredations in the Great Satan, aka the USA, and I don't want the authorities there to know I'm there, all I gots to do is put on a cowboy hat, tell the nice man at the border I'm a refugee named Carlos Rodriguez. that I'm fleeing oppression, shake him by the hand, nip across the border, call my Islamist amigos, and start planning our next terrorist outrage. Allahu ahkbar!

Short form - gotta control the borders.

Michie said:

With technology quickly evolving and changing, sexual exploitation is being exacerbated in the process.

Christian Post reporter Samantha Kamman joins "The Inside Story" with host Billy Hallowell to break down takeaways from the recent Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Global Summit she attended.

At the event, attendees heard from various experts, including a former marketing director for Only Fans. Kamman breaks down some of the shocking revelations she heard and discusses her important explainer article.

Continued below.

Is tech fueling sexual exploitation in America? What you need to know about this dire problem

With technology quickly evolving and changing, sexual exploitation is being exacerbated in the process

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

Porn pushed the PC and graphics cards and color monitors and high speed internet so folks could watch their porn from their PCs. It was the major influencer on all of that. I suspect tech is still prominent in the sex business. VPNs and crypto-payment systems and the like had their part and there will be new technology popping up on a regular basis to advance the sexual perversions.

BPPLEE said:

Asked and answered. You must have missed a post

Click to expand...

Walz checks off two from your list....hunting and military.

Valletta said:

Perjury is a serious crime in the eyes of many. Since she is a Democrat going who went after Trump it likely will not matter, but still.

Click to expand...

Perjury for what? What proof that they are any but friends? What proof they didn’t end things and then start back up again? Whatever their relationship, The NYP is basically a tabloid spreading gossip.

Michie said:

What exactly does sola scriptura mean? That seems to be malleable.​

Sola scriptura is Latin for “by Scripture alone,” and it’s one of the key slogans of the Protestant Reformation.

I often explain it by saying that it’s the idea we need to produce Christian doctrine “by Scripture alone,” meaning—among other things—that every Christian doctrine must be explicitly or implicitly contained in the Bible.

This is how I understood it as an Evangelical, and this understanding seems confirmed by experience, as Catholics are regularly confronted by Protestant Christians with the question, “Where is that in the Bible?”—a demand to produce Scripture verses as proof of some particular Catholic belief or practice.

In recent decades, a common response by Catholic apologists is to turn this question around and say, “Where is sola scriptura in the Bible?” The point is, if every doctrine must be provable from the Bible, then sola scriptura also must be provable. If it isn’t, then it’s a self-refuting doctrine.

How can Protestants respond to this challenge? One approach is to point to verses that a Protestant thinks prove sola scriptura, but this has not been successful. There are no verses that state the doctrine outright, and the arguments by implication are weak and unpersuasive.

Continued below.

The Shifting Definition of Sola Scriptura

Protestants have long held that every Christian doctrine must be contained in the Bible (sola scriptura), but exactly what that means seems to be malleable.

www.catholic.com

Click to expand...

There are actually verses which directly refute Sola Scriptura as defined by, for example, Seventh Day Adventists, as involving a complete rejection of all tradition. You can specifically cite 1 Corinthians 11:2 , 2 Thessalonians 2:15 and Galatians 1:8-9 , and in my experience you will simply be ignored by whoever is attacking your faith, but these texts are definitive, whereas Mark 7:13 on the other hand clearly refers to the traditions of the Pharisees, that were written down by the Scribes to become the Mishnah, which is the basis for Rabbinical Judaism.

Actually most things that I see Protestants attacking Catholics for on the forum (a) do not originate from the more tradiitonal Protestants such as the Lutherans or Anglicans, but rather come from very low church Evangelical, Fundamentalist or Restorationist groups, and (b) are actually scripturally supported. For example, the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is supported scripturally, in the Magnifcat, and again later in the Gospel according to Luke ch. 11 v. 27-28, which ironically are the same verses they will try to use to promote the Antidicomarian heresy (the refusal to venerate Our Lady). Likewise there is also scriptural support for referring to priests as Father, for the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, for the baptism of infants, for the celebration of the primary liturgical service on Sunday, for the ordination of bishops, presbyters and deacons, and just about every other thing you might be accosted with on the basis of “Where is that in the Bible?”

Whereas conversely, scriptural support for their doctrines, such as Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and so on, is lacking, and some, I would argue the Seventh Day Adventists contradict themselves - they wrongfully criticize the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church on the basis of the writings of Ellen G White, whose work they regard as inspired and infallible prophecy, despite the fact that it is riddled with historical inaccuracies.

This is why I will always defend my beloved Roman Catholic friends on this forum like @Michie and @chevyontheriver who come unfairly under attack by people who accuse them of believing in things which are unscriptural - it is not right, and most of these attacks are not only contrary to Scripture themselves, but also attack the Orthodox churches as well, and even the more traditional Protestant churches, such as the high church Anglicans and Lutherans, by implication, due to the very substantial similarities in our belief systems.

Also I regard Our Lady of Guadalupe as a Holy Icon, and consider it miraculous, in terms of how through that icon our Lord was able to convert the people of what is now the Los Estados Unidos de Mexico from the Aztec and Meso-American human sacrifice religions, which were among the most horrific forms of paganism ever to be practiced, to a pious and vital Christianity. Furthermore it is an incredibly beautiful icon.

JesseRaymondBassett said:

I recommend the NRSV over the NKJV. That or the English Standard Version Bible.

Click to expand...

Anything over the Message. Anything...

I use the NRSV-CE and ESV in some of my devotionals.

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall speaks during his introductory press conference with the San Francisco 49ers in April 2024. | YouTube/David Lombardi



The mother of a San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver who was shot in the chest during an armed robbery is thankful that "God shielded him" from death as he has been released from the hospital after just one day.

In a statement posted to X Saturday, the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League announced that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in an attempted robbery that afternoon. The team indicated that "he sustained a bullet wound to his chest and is in serious but stable condition."

In a Facebook post Saturday, Pearsall's mother, Erin, repeatedly gave thanks to God as she provided an update about the condition of her "baby boy."

Continued below.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo provides a coronavirus update from the Red Room at the State Capitol on January 29, 2021. | Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be required to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives over his government's policy of placing coronavirus patients into nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, announced Tuesday that Cuomo is scheduled to testify before Congress on Sept. 10.

Cuomo previously spoke with the Select Subcommittee in June for a recorded interview held behind closed doors that lasted approximately seven hours.

Continued below.

The scene at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., in the wake of a shooting on Wednesday September 4, 2024. | YouTube/NBC News

Updated at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 4, 2024: The death toll rose to four, and nine others were injured in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday afternoon. The suspected shooter, who is in custody, is believed to be 14 years old. It's unknown whether he was a student at the high school.
Original:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp urged residents of the state to join him in prayer Wednesday for the multiple casualties left in the wake of an active shooter incident at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, as investigators confirmed they have the suspect in custody.

Continued below.

Valletta said:

NY’s Chinese consul general ousted after aide charged with acting as Beijing agent: Hochul

The departure of Consul General Huang Ping under murky circumstances came as sources told The Post that suspicions about Sun arose after she bestowed a state honor on the diplomat – an action she …

nypost.com

Walz too has ties with China. And many Chinese citizens of military age have illegally crossed our border.

Click to expand...

I'd like to correct the NY post (as quoted in the link): Ms. Sun was not charged with espionage (or spying) but rather as a foreign agent w/o registration (and associated crimes accumulated in those task). No theft or collection of sensitive materials was involved.

Ugh…..

mourningdove~ said:

Former President Donald Trump vowed, if elected come November, to rehire military service members who were let go for rejecting the COVID-19 vaccination and promised they would receive an apology with back pay.

"Kamala [Harris] and Crooked Joe purged 8,000 service members from our military for refusing their COVID vaccine mandate. They refused to do it," Trump said at an Asheboro, North Carolina, rally on Wednesday.

He added, "We didn't want a mandate. The mandate — you just can't do that."

"I will rehire every patriot that was fired with an apology and back pay. They will get their back pay and an apology from our government," he declared as the crowd loudly applauded.

The Republican presidential nominee said he hopes the former military service members now have "great jobs" while "making a lot of money" but hopes they want to come back.

"The mandate stuff should have never happened," he said to the rallygoers.

As of October 2023, only 43 of the fired 8,000 service members have rejoined the military following the repeal of the vaccine mandate.

Several groups, including First Liberty Institute and New Civil Liberties Alliance, have sued over the federal vaccine mandates and unconstitutional COVID-19 executive action.

While speaking during the rally, Trump also criticized the Biden-Harris administration's handling of the military and its morale.

MSN

www.msn.com

Click to expand...

My friends daughter refused the vaccine during military duty about 3 yrs ago and was fired, it's gonna be a big paycheck!

Xeno.of.athens said:

Our lifespan is finite, and neither wishing nor worrying can extend it. Medicine may prolong it somewhat, and good, healthy food may contribute as well. Ultimately, however, death is certain. The number of our days is known to God, not to us.

Christians anticipate a resurrection and eternal life, but the nature of that existence remains a mystery. What would it mean to outlast a mountain, a planet, or even a solar system? How would one spend their days, continually finding meaningful thoughts, words, and actions? Will technology, art, and science persist after the resurrection? It's a mystery.

Click to expand...

What give you the most joy during your Christ like life here on earth?
Would you say: Jesus seemed to take the greatest joy from helping others which also seemed to please God the most?
My thoughts on this are: There will be lots (to many really, which is my fault) people in heaven who never had the opportunity to fulfill their earthly objective, so they lack Godly type Love. Without that Love they will need to be protected and preserved for eternity. I would like to participate in protecting and preserving those I did not teach to the point of providing them the opportunity to fulfill their earthly objective. It is the least I could do and adds to my desire to allow the Spirit to work through me mentoring others.

A pastor should not require an additional job if the church can adequately meet their needs. However, numerous small churches are unable to fully sustain a full-time pastor, who must still ensure provision for their family.

I'm worried about your title. Pastors can't be available to their congregation 24/7. Usually, I notice pastor are overworked, dedicating 50-60 hours to the church and neglecting personal time with family.

I frequently notice that pastors dedicate most of their time to business meetings other church meeting and visiting congregants, leaving little time for personal prayer and Bible study.

joymercy said:

That is beautiful @RileyG . Do you see her wrapping you when you pray this? do you get an internal image of her maternal love for you?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Traze77 said:

What happens to believers who stop going to church? Do they go to hell or are there consequences?

Click to expand...

It's not a binary on-off switch situation.

What happens to a person if they stop eating? They become malnourished, it negatively affects their health. It can, of course, result in death, that's the worst thing that could happen.

When we stop going to church it's very similar, we are depriving ourselves of the spiritual nourishment we need, and it negatively affects our spiritual health. The worst case scenario is that we make shipwreck of our faith, and we abandon Jesus, throwing away His promises--in which case we may very well find ourselves in hell. But it's not because "I stopped going to church, now I'm going to hell", it's that I am starving myself of God's grace, I am starving myself of God's word, I am quenching the Holy Spirit, and I am walking away from the hope and eternal life I have in Christ. It's why the Scriptures constantly tell us to be at the receiving end of grace--to hear God's word, to come together, partake together of God's gifts, to share life together as the Body of Christ--because this is God's ordered means for how we have a healthy, growing relationship with Him where our faith is being strengthened. Because out in the world our faith is being assailed daily by temptation, by lies, but the spiritual wrongness that exists--both within ourselves and in a world broken by sin. The devil is a scavenger, a liar, and preys on us when we are outside the safety of the sheepfold.

It's not about "Do X or else". The Church is not a social club of saints, but a hospital for sinners. The Good Physician is here in our midst. We deprive ourselves of good medicine, of spiritual nourishment, when we cease to partake of the many good things which God has given and provided for us.

-CryptoLutheran

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN said:

From what I read. He had to carry. As far as I know. He's not trying to take guns away from people in the military or police people, that have desk duty.

Click to expand...

That is unconstitutional.

Lord have mercy! May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, Rest In Peace.