A key explanation of why happiness is so elusive is in the answer to this question: Why are some homes more a ‘home’ than others? This is no surprise, since the wise tell us that home is where our heart is at rest. Indeed, where else would our heart be at rest?

Life experience brings to light what to the young might not be so clear. Real rest is elusive. Ironically, or rather paradoxically, rest must be cultivated with much effort. The natural starting point is in the home. And marriage most makes a home be a home; and this especially where spouses forge a friendship with one another. We might say a home begins in marriage; a happy home begins in a happy marriage; and a happy marriage is where spouses are deep friends.

This is a matter of good philosophy and logic. In an assertion with far-reaching implications, Aristotle wrote:

Continued below.

Peace reigns inside Dar Mariam, the residence of the Salesian Sisters in Sudan, despite the fact that it has been surrounded by heavy gunfire and bombed multiple times as war rages on in the northeastern African country.

At the community, located in Shajara, about four and a half miles from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, people displaced by the war, which has been raging there for two years now, say their relationship with God has grown.

According to Father Jacob Thelekkadan, a Catholic priest of Indian descent who served in Sudan for years before the war broke out and now can’t leave, residents of Dar Mariam have had a number of life-threatening experiences — a situation that Thelekkadan, a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, describes as “the experience of the nearness of God” from the time the community was first bombed on Nov. 3, 2023.

Continued below.

Tennessee has enacted a law making it illegal for an adult to take a child 17 or younger out of the state for gender transitioning without the permission of one of the child’s parents.

The measure, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, is scheduled to take effect July 1 unless blocked by a court. Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law on Tuesday, May 28.

Supporters call it a parental rights bill. Opponents say it’s unnecessary and a shot at transgender people.

The Republican-dominated Tennessee Legislature approved the bill by wide margins on April 25 — the state Senate on a 25-4 vote and the state House of Representatives by 63-16.

Continued below.

Representatives of the Australian Catholic Medical Association, with the support of several Catholic moral theologians and bioethicists, have criticized a book published by the Pontifical Academy for Life for its lack of understanding of “current science” and specific areas of medicine.

The experts argue that the book spreads “misleading and confusing” theological and medical information that contradicts established Church teachings on contraception and assisted reproductive technologies.

The book in question, “Etica Teologica Della Vita” (ETV), covers “Theological Ethics of Life: Scripture, Tradition, and Practical Challenges.” The 528-page Italian publication is a synthesis of a seminar sponsored by the academy in 2021.

The critique, published April 23 in the Linacre Quarterly, the official journal of the Catholic Medical Association, describes contradictions between the book and established Church teachings on contraception and assisted reproductive technologies.

Continued below.

Fourteen pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been convicted of subversion while billionaire Catholic convert Jimmy Lai, 76, remains imprisoned and on trial on similar charges.

The 14 were among 47 activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion through an unofficial primary election in 2020 under a national security law passed by China following anti-government protests that year. It is the same law being used to prosecute Lai.

On Thursday, the court ruled that the dissidents’ activism would have caused a “constitutional crisis for Hong Kong.”

Lai, who has been imprisoned for three years, remains in the midst of his own trial. In January, he pleaded not guilty to the national security law charges brought against him.

Continued below.

In a recent letter to Congress, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) decried federal abortion funding and the commodification of human beings through IVF, while encouraging pro-family policies and restorative reproductive medicine.

Bishop Michael Burbidge, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities and the Bishop of Arlington, highlighted in the May 16 letter that the USCCB “will oppose any bill that expands taxpayer funding of abortion.

“We take this stand because abortion funded by the government advances neither healthcare nor justice; it is the antithesis of healthcare and justice,” he stated in the letter to members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees.

As the abortion battle continues in the U.S. with states proposing various ballot measures to promote or limit abortion, Burbidge reiterated the USCCB’s support for the Hyde Amendment, which bans any federal funding of abortion.

Continued below.

An adult who helps an underage girl get a surgical or chemical abortion in Tennessee will be liable to criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit for wrongful death starting July 1 if a new law enacted this week takes effect.

The new Class C felony, called “abortion trafficking of a minor,” applies to an adult who “recruits, harbors, or transports” a pregnant girl 17 or younger within the state for the purpose of procuring an abortion. It does not apply to the parents or legal guardian of the underage girl.

A Class C felony in Tennessee carries a prison sentence of between three and 15 years and may carry a fine of up to $10,000.

Abortion is already illegal in Tennessee except to preserve the life of the mother or “prevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman,” according to a statute enacted in April 2023. Tennessee is one of 14 states that have enacted a near-total ban on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022 and returned abortion law to legislatures and state referendums.

Continued below.

Church officials strongly condemned a recent attack on Christians in Sargodha, Pakistan, and expressed disappointment over the level of intolerance in Pakistani society.

On May 25, a violent mob attacked the homes of two Christian families in Mujahid Colony, Sargodha City, about 150 miles south of Islamabad, in Punjab province of Pakistan. The mob burned and vandalized the Christian houses and their shoe factory after Nazir Masih, a Catholic, was accused of blasphemy for allegedly desecrating pages of the Holy Quran.

Masih, 76, spent a couple of years in Saudia Arabia. After his return, he set up a shoe factory and had a successful business.

Tahir Naveed Chaudhry Advocate, a Catholic political leader from Sargodha, told CNA that around 6 a.m. on Saturday morning Ayub Gondal, one of Masih’s Muslim neighbors, accused Masih of committing blasphemy by allegedly desecrating the Quranic pages and throwing them on the road in front of the factory.

Continued below.

(OSV News) — As a Eucharistic procession made its way May 28 through Victoria, Texas, a 20-something man sitting on the side of a street caught Charlie McCullough’s attention. McCullough stopped to talk with him, explaining what was going on: The procession was part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage en route to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress, and the Eucharist they were walking behind is really, truly Jesus.

“He had grown up in the Protestant faith and had never seen a Eucharistic procession before, and was at a time in life where he was asking a lot of big questions about what is the reason I exist for, what’s the purpose of life, all these things,” McCullough, one of six perpetual pilgrims on the pilgrimage’s southern St. Juan Diego route, recalled May 29. “We talked briefly and I kept walking.”

Stories of conversion and faith​

About five blocks later, McCullough looked over his shoulder and saw the man running after the procession. He caught up to McCullough and asked if they could talk more.


“He told me that that morning was the first time he had tried to pray in years. He opened his Bible, and he didn’t know if the Lord had heard him. And when we walked by — when Jesus Christ walked by — he knew something was different. And he knew that he wanted to follow the Lord, and he had so many questions about how and what he wants to do, and there was this zeal welling up in his heart,” McCullough said. “I just got to pray with him and encourage him.”

Continued below.

Detransitioner. That isn’t a word that often comes up in daily conversation. To my knowledge, spellcheck and dictionaries don’t even fully recognize it yet.

So what does it mean? The word describes a person who has attempted to use surgery or hormonal intervention to change their biology because they believe, or want to believe, or have been told, that they were born in the wrong body. And that nothing will make them happy and content until they have rectified that mistake.

So that person detransitions: They try to reverse the process. They stop taking hormones, they reverse the surgeries (to the extent that that is possible), and they attempt to deal with the mental and physical consequences of such brutal interventions in the physiology and anatomy of the human body.


Not everyone makes it to that point. But my new book “Detrans: True Stories of
Escaping the Gender Ideology Cult” shares stories of those who have and who are brave enough to speak out about their experiences.

What is ‘detransitioning’?​

In March 2023 the Associated Press defined detransitioning as “stopping or reversing gender transition, which can include medical treatment or changes in appearance, or both.” Of course, the AP claims that detransitioning is rare. And it is quick to tell readers that the process of detransitioning “does not always include regret” (a laughable claim, considering the circumstances, but one pushed hard by advocacy organizations).

Any examination of mainstream or corporate media coverage of transgender issues will quickly let you in on a secret: Most media is focused on promoting a single narrative when it comes to LGBTQ and gender ideology issues, a narrative heavily informed by the reporting style guides of organizations like GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign.


GLAAD, formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, actively discourages reporting on “negative claims about the transgender community.” The organization also urges reporters to “avoid elevating singular voices or rare cases and concerns in equal weight to overwhelming consensus and preponderance of evidence,” noting that “doing so is inaccurate journalism and storytelling.”

Further, GLAAD offers the media a glossary of terms recommended for reporting on the issue, including the phrase “gender-affirming care.” If it is not immediately clear to you what that phrase means, you aren’t alone. It is purposefully nebulous, artfully positive in tone, successfully vague, an activist umbrella term used to obscure the grisly details of transition procedures such as hormones, puberty blockers, and irreversible surgeries, even for children.

This “gender-affirming care” language has been widely embraced by non-conservative media outlets, including outlets with massive reach, such as CNN, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press.

Continued below.

I am wondering whether Mr. Trump's conviction will give the less ideological members of the Court to take limits on presidential immunity more seriously.
I recognize two are unreachable, but last week the Court was evaluating the case based on their faith in the relative integrity of our 46 presidents.
They can no longer assume that to be true. We now have a convicted felon among the 46, who through aggressive defense delay tactics, still has three more serious cases pending.
I wonder if those judges who want to preserve our union will realize that integrity, now or in the future, can't be assumed, and that significant limits need to be placed on immunity.

Matthew 11:

2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Click to expand...

There are two comings: one at John's time and another one in the future. Both are accomplished by Jesus. Even John the Baptizer experienced a moment of confusion. He was imprisoned. He didn't know how much more time he had. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus for a clarification.

4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy b are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Click to expand...

Jesus did not answer John's question directly. However, he reassured him that he was the one. Any more details would not help John's situation anyhow, as John was soon to be executed.

Jesus prepared fish and bread for the disciples in John 21:

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Click to expand...

Do you love me more than these fish that you have just eaten?

Simon Peter did not think that Jesus was talking about the fish. That would have been an insulting question to Peter.

Do you love me more than these other disciples who love me?

He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”

Click to expand...

Peter did not answer, "No, they love you more than I do" because Peter loved Jesus a lot. At the same time, he could not affirm that he loved Jesus more than the others because he denied him three times earlier.

See also Simon, son of John, do you agape-LOVE me

Link to Table of Contents​

Hebrews 1:3 (The Tri-Unity and Messiah, a Deep Scriptural Dive) (Pt. 3b), Direct Link to Pt. 3a​

This OP starts where the the 2nd page of yesterday's OP leaves off. <- LInk

6. We will post many of the verses that explain why Mal'akh Ha Panim the Effulgence is not a Created Being.​

Closing words of yesterday's OP: We will be picking up with the combination of several verses *editing in* that bind to our deep Hebrew lingual study of Genesis 16:11, then diving into the Paleo Nature of the actual way this phrase was ORIGINALLY written, from the Hebrew perspective and why it matters. ​

To avoid a long montage of what transpired in the first 3 OPs that led up to this discussion I will point you to the multiple links provided by and under the Gold title of this OP.

This is the portion of Hebrews 1:3 that this entire discussion is hinging off of.

(HCSB) 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature...​

This is the portion of the verse that we were lingually studying, yesterday.

Genesis 16:11 ...The angel of the Lord also said to her...​

There is a very specific reason that we studied the Hebrew of this phrase so deeply. It is problematic to the typical reader of this passage that doesn't have a background in Biblical study. To be more specific, because this passage evokes the Tetragrammaton, we can now know without a single doubt that there is missing understanding which used to be understood, whenever it was originally written. To restore this understanding, we are going to have to go to the Paleo Hebrew roots of this verse and draw it from similar verses found within the Tanakh.

We are going to evaluate the following versus to restore understanding:

Exodus 23:21 .......... Genesis 22:15 .......... Psalm 34:7 .......... Job 19:25,26,27,28

We are going to attack a very stringent matter that we discussed in the initial Pt. 3a of this OP. We are going to discuss scripture on a very extensive level, all throughout this OP series and because Hebrews is a MASSIVELY CONNECTED book we absolutely HAVE to avoid CARNAL pitfalls. Do you remember when we went out of our way to proof that the Pre-Incarnate Christ was NEVER an ACTUAL ANGEL of God? This becomes utterly Crucial to remember at this point. Because Exodus 23:21 carries a deeply important fact about the Theophany, but theologians have gotten all excited and misinterpreted a matter. For our theological purposes, I will have to address a biblical matter that is CRITICAL.

I'm sorry if this pours motor oil in anyone's Wheaties but Michael is not an angelic form of Jesus. It is a fantastically fun idea to consider, but scripture has left us no choice, but to turn away from that biblically Fantastical idea. Yes, Michael does fight for Israel, but Jude shows that he doesn't have the same authority as the Theophany.

Just to lock this all up and throw away the theological key on this matter that God clearly wanted to be understood, we will ice this cake.
We have 3 more verses to integrate into this passage. Genesis 22:15 .......... Psalm 34:7 .......... Job 19:25,26,27,28

"The Angel of the Lord called ... from heaven ... By Myself I have sworn, "this is the Lord's declaration ... because you have obeyed MY COMMAND'
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

627. apologia -
a speech in defense
Usage: a verbal defense (particularly in a law court).

Acts 22:1 Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”

We, who look at scripture as we have been looking at scripture have NO HOME. FOXES have dens, but WE have NO HOMES. We have no closed systems of theological to identify as our kinsmen. We BELIEVE that 2 verses of scripture could be studied for a lifetime and yet those two passages of scripture would still remain UNRESOLVED upon our Journey to Heaven. It is truly as John closed the book of John with.
This is how we handle the SACRED words of THE HOLY TRUTH OF THE SON, who FULLY Reveals His FATHER.

Now back to that RESET THOUGHT point.

Should there be a WMLB ?

Women‘s Baseball ?

The Rapture and Jewish Weddings

There is an interesting parallel between a Jewish wedding and the Rapture. Only a Pre-Tribulation Rapture will fit into this scenario.
Three groups of people were present at every Jewish wedding—the groom, the bride, and the invited guests.
Three groups of people will also be involved in the marriage of the Lamb.

1. The Groom—this is Jesus (2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:23-27)
2. The Bride—this is the Church (2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:22-32, Rev. 21:9-10)
3. The Guests—these are people saved after the Rapture (Matt. 25:1-10).

Some people have mistakenly interpreted the 10 virgins as the Church.
However, they are the guests invited to the wedding feast and are not the bride.

Three Aspects of a Jewish Wedding
There were also three aspects of every Jewish wedding. The same is true with the marriage of the Lamb.

1. The Wedding Contract (Betrothal).
This is when a person is saved (2 Cor. 11:2).

2. The Wedding Ceremony (Groom receives Bride).
This is the Rapture (John 14:2-3). Revelation 19:7 literally reads, "The marriage of the Lamb came and His wife prepared herself." The wedding already occurred at the Rapture, and now the Lamb and the Church are about to return to earth for the wedding feast. This parallels what Jesus said in Luke 12:36, "And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding…
” (It should read “wedding,” not "wedding feast" as some versions say. Why would someone wait after the wedding feast when the celebration is over?)

3. The Wedding Feast (Guests are invited to the celebration).
This is the Second Coming (Matt. 25:1-10) "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:9). A bride is not invited to her own wedding! The Church was married to Christ at the Rapture and the wedding feast will occur on earth after the Second Coming. Those people saved after the Rapture (the tribulation saints) will be invited to participate in the wedding feast.

And here's one more thought to ponder…

Three Times of Redemption (“Redemption" means "to purchase.”)

1. When you were saved by receiving Jesus as your Lord, He redeemed your spirit. (1 Peter 1:18, Eph. 1:7)
2. At the Rapture, Jesus will redeem your body. (Rom. 8:23, Eph. 1:14, 4:30).
3. At the Second Coming, Jesus will redeem the earth. (Rom. 8:19-22) At this time, the curse which was placed on it because of the fall of man (Gen. 3:17-19) will be lifted (Zech. 14:11).

I am feeling so far down right now, it’s so bad that I don’t have any energy to go to work. I just want to stay in bed all day. I awoke to no paycheck (long story) and I am now feeling like a failure to my family to keep us going. I don’t know how to. I’m just wanting to hunker down and stay in my bed all day. No energy to work or clean or anything like that. I just can’t do this anymore.

All Because Of Mercy - Casting Crowns

Login to view embedded media
I could stand here
And try to tell you
I found my way here on my own
Brought to life this heart of stone
Made up my own mind
To change my own life
Working my own way to good
As if anybody could

But the truth is I've been broken since my very first breath
And the truth is I've been wandering since my very first step
I know the only reason
I can stand here unashamed
Is not because I'm worthy
It's all because of mercy

There's no way that I could earn it
Praise God my debt is paid
It's not because I'm worthy
It's all because of mercy
Ohhh, oooo
Ohhh, oooo

I still remember
The day He found me
6 feet under all my shame
I heard Him call me out by name
Hallelujah
The cross has spoken
Jesus my Savior bled and died
To bring this deadman back to life

I know the only reason
I can stand here unashamed
Is not because I'm worthy
It's all because of mercy
There's no way that I could earn it
Praise God my debt is paid
It's not because I'm worthy
It's all because of mercy
Ohhh, oooo, it's all because of mercy
Ohhh, oooo

Just as desperate for you now
As I was back then
If I ever should forget
Remind me once again
Just as desperate for you now
As I was back then
If I ever should forget
Remind me once again

I know the only reason
I can stand here unashamed
Is not because I'm worthy
It's all because of mercy
There's no way that I could earn it
Praise God my debt is paid
It's not because I'm worthy
It's all because of mercy
Ohhh, oooo, because of Your mercy
Ohhh, oh Hallelujah
Ohhh, oh Hallelujah
It's all because of mercy

I hope that it's alright to ask for prayers here, as I really do need them. My issues are small compared to some peoples, but I'm still...struggling. I live with my brother and through a state supplement we do our best to get by. Bills paid, rent paid, necessities bought, but because of how dates lined up this month, we've come up short when it comes to groceries. It's been about 3-4 days without a meal and no ability to get groceries until MAYBE Monday. (If we can get a ride into town). If anyone here could say a small prayer for us or send some kind thoughts our way for us to get through the weekend, I'd appreciate it very much. Thank you so much!

Are we living in the last days?

Yes, depending on the definition. The Bible spoke about "last days" (plural) with multiple meanings:

KJV, Gen 49:

1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Click to expand...

last
בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית (bə·’a·ḥă·rîṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 319: The last, end, the future, posterity

Strong's Hebrew: 319. אַחֲרִית (acharith) — 61 Occurrences

ESV:

Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

Click to expand...

H319 days could mean "later days."

Joel prophesied the Day of the LORD in 2:

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Click to expand...

In those future later days with respect to Joel.

30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Click to expand...

The first part of Joel's prophecy was fulfilled in the Pentecost. Peter called it "last days" in Act 2:

17‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Click to expand...

2Pe 3:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.

Click to expand...

The second part of Joel's prophecy is yet to come in the future last days.

Are we living in the last days?

Yes, relative to Joel's days, Peter was living in the H319-last days. Relative to our present days, there will be more H319-last days coming. It is all relative.

Are we living on the last day?

No, not yet.

Right-wing media figures vow revenge after Trump‘s conviction​

While not surprising, the furious bluster reverberating across right-wing media still carried its intended effect, burning away public trust in America’s core institutions and leaving a lasting impact on the legitimacy of the rule of law in the United States.

The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, who commands a following of millions of subscribers on YouTube and social media, said after the verdict that Trump “should make and publish a list of ten high ranking Democrat criminals who he will have arrested when he takes office.”

The Federalist chief executive Sean Davis said he wants “to see lists of which Democrat officials are going to be put in prison.”

Gee, at least Nixon had the good sense to keep his enemies list secret. But the projection among some of Trump's fans is pretty obvious. They secretly openly long to make arrests motivated by politics rather than the impartial application of the law.

Genesis 2:

9 And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Click to expand...

Here, H2530 was used in a positive sense.

Strong's Hebrew: 2530. חָמַד (chamad) — 28 Occurrences

BDB:

verb desire, take pleasure
a. in bad sense of inordinate, ungoverned, selfish desire
b. = take pleasure in, of idolatrous tendency
c. less often in good sense, said of God

Click to expand...

The verb was ambiguous. It could be used negatively. Exodus 20:

17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Click to expand...

To desire and take pleasure in something is okay. If you overdo it to the extent that you desire to possess or lust after something pleasant that does not belong to you, then it is a sin.

Like having an affair with someone's wife?

Right. See When is a thought considered a lustful thought?.

See Who is the one true God?

See How old is the earth?