Every country in the world
gives Ukraine a small amount of land
until it equals the amount of land Russia took.

Would that end the war?

Please pray for every fan of the muscian Mandisa. She passed away recently at the age of 47.

See below.

Mandisa Dead At 47

It’s time to get your mom joy back.

I sat in a café literally created just for moms. There was a colorful playground inside, an exercise room for mommy and me classes, and small round coffee tables for moms to chat. I struck up a conversation with another mom while my kids went down the slide. They were probably one and three at the time, and I was craving adult conversation.

I asked her about her hobbies, and she immediately lit up. Her passion was playing in a volleyball league. “When do you play now?” I asked. “Oh, I haven’t, ever since I became a mom.”

This sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? When we become mothers many of our own interests are put aside for a season . . . or much longer. Instead of focusing on personal growth, we focus on our growing children. Although that’s completely necessary for the first few years of life, today’s average mom isn’t making the switch back from being child centered to parent centered. As your children grow older, you’re still catering, serving, obliging, begging, orbiting, bribing, and promising. No wonder so many of us aren’t experiencing job satisfaction as mothers! We aren’t leaders in our homes; we’re stressed-out servants. The family isn’t meant to work this way.

“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do,” Ephesians 6:1 says. It’s not the other way around. Parents aren’t supposed to obey their children, yet if you observe children in grocery stores or restaurants, often times they’re the ones clearly in control.

Put on Your Own Socks​

My oldest child, Ethan, and I had this bedtime ritual. I would bring him a clean pair of white socks and put them on his feet every night. I was literally waiting on him hand and foot. One evening—when he was in the fifth grade—I realized, Ethan is way too old for this. What am I doing? I told him my discovery, and he laughed, “But I like it when you do it; you’re my servant!” He’s been putting on his own socks ever since.

You know, many times it’s not our children who have a hard time assuming new roles and responsibilities around the house—the problem lies with us. We don’t want to let go of the feeling of being needed and important. We complain about being stressed out and pulled and tugged to do every single little thing that revolves around our children, yet we’re the ones who engineer the dependence.

If you want to be a happier mom, it’s time to make some changes. Here are five ways to find your mom joy again:

1. Become Healthy​

Continued below.

How you can better engage with 50 percent of the U.S. population

When I was a child, I remember scanning the congregation during boring moments of the sermon. I was looking to see who had their arm around whom. I observed that, sometimes, husbands put their arms around their wives, sometimes wives put their arms around their husbands, and sometimes the couple sat too far apart to show such affection. I didn’t even look at the single people to see how they sat. And from what my single friends have told me, this experience of being overlooked (even by a restless child) is indicative of the single experience in the church.

This past August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 50 percent of the adult population (older than age 16) is single—a statistic up from 37 percent in 1976. Is this represented in our congregations? When you scan your congregation during boring moments in the sermon (or if you’re behind the pulpit or microphone and you look out), who do you see? What is the single experience in the church today, and how can those of us who are married help the church become a more welcoming place to those among us who have never married or are divorced or widowed? Though it may seem like a difficult task, there are small, intentional ways we can include everyone in the church community fold.

Because I wed soon after college, I’ve spent little time in church as a single person. However, I have had several lengthy conversations with friends like Karen and Kristie who shared with me experiences and ideas about singleness and the church, both as lay people and from current positions of pastoral leadership. Here’s what I learned about how married people in the church can better engage with our single sisters and brothers.

1. It Is Not Good for a Person to Be Alone​

Continued below.

Steven Cugini, 28, of York, was arrested and charged in Dauphin County Tuesday after being accused of sexually and physically abusing the 1-year-old child, according to a news release from State Police at Lykens.

Online court documents show that Cugini faces multiple felony charges that include rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, and aggravated assault. He is locked up in Dauphin County Prison on $200,000 bail.

York City Police confirmed that Cugini is a member of their department and that he was suspended immediately after the alleged crimes that happened when he was off duty.

The victim’s mother told State Police the child suffered the injuries from a hard fall during bath time. State Police say the mother “went on to provide implausible explanations for several other injuries to the victim’s body” including that bruising was caused by the family dog.

Will your differences sabotage or strengthen your marriage?

Recently, Bill and I were with a group of men and women as speakers for a relationship enrichment weekend. Over the few days we were together, we noted some comments from the group pointing out differences between men and women.

For example, one of the female leaders announced over the microphone, “I want to thank the men who helped women with their luggage as we were checking in. Chivalry is not dead!” Even though every woman in attendance clearly had the ability to transport her own luggage, many in the audience spontaneously cheered.

The men didn’t make any announcements, but I overheard one man saying to a group of friends, “The ladies here obviously spent more time thinking about what they were going to wear than we did. They look way better than any of us!”

Both of these people were making what may seem like an obvious observation: Men and women are different. Some gender differences are related to cultural norms, expectations, or even superficial stereotypes. Other gender-specific traits—such as biological characteristics or even psychological patterns—may be tied more closely to nature rather than nurture. Despite our differences, we have much in common, so one of the most important things men and women must do—particularly in marriage—is figure out how to understand and relate to one another.

Accept One Another

Continued below.

It's how you handle it that counts.

Last year, when we celebrated our 40th anniversary, each of our sons asked to have a few minutes to speak. I envisioned a lovely tribute to our marriage. I should have known better.

They were witnesses to our lives. They were there and saw it all. The good, the bad, the magic, and the tragic.

Cameron, our oldest, stepped up to the microphone: “Twenty years under their roof proved to me that my parents are not normal—at all. Not in an Adams Family kind of way. More like an America’s Funniest Home Videos kind of way.”

I admit, I got a little nervous in that moment.

Cameron continued, “I lived in a house of honest conversation—not necessarily always quietconversation, but honest. You knew where you stood with Mom and Dad and you knew where Mom and Dad stood with each other. I lived in a house where ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘Will you forgive me?’ were modeled daily. That’s not natural, not normal.”

I took a deep breath. He got it right. Well, half right, anyway.

Fighting Isn’t Always Bad

Continued below.

Psalm 14:

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Click to expand...

The Redeemer from Zion will cause Jacob to rejoice by saving them from their sins.

Isaiah 59:

20 A Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.

Click to expand...

Paul summarized the above verses in Romans 11:

26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”.

Click to expand...

Did Paul quote the Hebrew scriptures?

No, not according to our modern scientific scholarship. But yes, according to ancient Jewish hermeneutics.

See also ALL Israel will be saved

Not long after my husband and I got married, we started having conflicts about what it meant to be home in time for dinner. After negotiating what seemed like a reasonable compromise, we developed a routine: he’d be late, I’d get angry, he’d apologize, and then we would have a déjà vu moment a few weeks later.

This was just one of many areas of conflict. We disagreed on how much food to prepare when we had guests, how quickly bills should be paid, and how often we needed to visit our extended families. We also fought about who should do the laundry and who should get the oil changed.

The frequency and intensity of our conflicts confused us. We were both communicative and reasonably mature. Why did we clash so much on these seemingly incidental issues? The problem wasn’t simply that we were strong-willed and opinionated. Unbeknownst to us, we entered marriage with a moving van full of expectations.

Expectations, in and of themselves, aren’t evil. In fact, they can often be very good. They help us understand our basic needs and wants. They play a valuable role in marriage: if we can’t expect certain things from our spouse, our marriage is vulnerable to failure.

Every couple will have their own unique expectations, but I would argue that there are three non-negotiables for every marriage: fidelity, honesty, and forgiveness. Some other expectations Christopher and I have are that we’ll work through conflict in a timely fashion, spend reasonable amounts of time together, and equitably share household responsibilities.

Few would find fault with those expectations. But, if you have been married more than a month, you will immediately notice the potential problem with the additional expectations Christopher and I have. What exactly does “timely fashion” mean: an hour or a full day? Does “reasonable” refer to one evening a week or five? Who determines what’s “equitable”? Because none of us clearly define our terms before saying “I do,” there’s bound to disappointment and conflict connected to expectations. After twenty-five years of marriage I am convinced that we can reduce the intensity, duration, and frequency of these conflicts if we take the time to understand the expectations we bring into marriage.

Our Expectations Are Shaped at an Early Age

Continued below.

A top leader of the national conservative group Turning Point Action, which has amplified false claims of election fraud by former president Donald Trump and others, resigned Thursday after being accused of forging voter signatures on official paperwork so that he could run for reelection in the Arizona House.

State Rep. Austin Smith (R) — who was senior director at Turning Point Action, the campaign arm of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA — was accused by a Democratic activist of submitting petition sheets with rows of voter names, addresses and signatures that “bear a striking resemblance” to Smith’s handwriting, according to a complaint. Smith “personally circulated multiple petition sheets bearing what appear to be forged voter signatures,” the complaint said.

In a statement, the first-term lawmaker said the allegations against him were “silly” and part of a “coordinated attack” by Democrats and “those unhappy with my politics.”

[Smith] has previously derided signature-verification work by local election officials as “a joke.”

Smith said the prospect of costly and public fallout from the allegations shaped his decision to drop out of the race.

“This is a man who has lied to the people of Legislative District 29 and the entire state about our election operations for at least three years,” [Maricopa County Supervisor Clint] Hickman [R] said in a statement. “And now he is accused of lying about the signatures he personally collected to get on the ballot again. An investigation will reveal the truth.”

ON FILM: Movie-makers explore ‘new epiphanies of beauty.’

Beautifully shot and scored, The Space Between the Ages, written and directed by Travis Lee Ratcliff from Austin, Texas, explores the artistic process of Irish sculptor Dony McManus as he works with clay to reveal the beauty of the human person. The stunning short film received the top award and a $500 prize at the “Letter to Artists Short Film Festival,” hosted by the Catholic Art Institute, on April 14.

Director Ratcliff spoke about the unique sense of McManus as an artist, noting that, in his work, he was securing a place in time: “What began to fascinate me as we worked with Dony was the role time and history, both personal and cultural, play in defining out experience of reality. Hopefully, we created a film that has a more substantive emotional core than the typical artist film.”

Twenty-five years ago this Easter, on April 4, 1999, Pope St. John Paul II issued one of the novelest and heartfelt messages of his papacy — the inspiration for this new film festival. The “Letter to Artists” was an invitation to the communities of faith and the arts to acknowledge their mutual need for each other and begin an active rapprochement for the sake of a broken world desperately in need of what the Pope called “new epiphanies of beauty.”

Responding to the 25th anniversary year of this still-vital exhortation, the festival just wrapped its first year, with screenings of award-winning films at the historic Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse in the Washington, D.C., metro area — celebrating cinema and screenplays that explore the impulse to create and the demands of art and beauty, the particular emotional and pragmatic challenges that artists must overcome, and why art matters and how it can heal, connect and spiritually deepen us.

Continued below.

Peace in Christ.

The judgment has come first to the house of God…His dwelling place.

His judgment upon us now is mixed with mercy for we are ignorant of the gospel of Truth.

The wrath of God IS REVEALED NOW from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who HOLD DOWN (suppress) the Truth in unrighteousness. They perish. Their mortal bodies are destroyed from this earth under His wrath that comes upon the children of disobedience. Even so, He has left us His witness that He has been good to us in our lives as His judgment is mixed with mercy because of the ignorance of the Truth.

Rom 1:18
(18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (Greek: katechō -“hold down”) the truth in unrighteousness;

They suppress the gospel (good news) of Truth…..the Word of Truth…the good news of our salvation in this mortal body (the “purchased possession). It is not being preached among the man-based churches.

Eph 1:13-14 KJV
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

He gives us the Spirit of promise (the promise of an age-lasting life) UNTIL the redemption of our mortal body (the purchased possession) where this mortal body will then put on immortality.

(14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The body is dead because of sin….but if we live after the Spirit (the Holy Spirit of the promise of an age-lasting life), then that Spirit shall also “quicken” (make ALIVE) our mortal bodies. Our mortal bodies will then be kept alive in this earth for the remainder of this current age until the “last trump” where we put on immortality thereby circumventing death and the grave altogether. We shall not mortally perish from this earth but have an age-lasting life until the redemption of body.

Make alive = have "eternal life"...that is, an age-lasting life in this mortal body.

Rom 8:10-11
(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (MAKE ALIVE) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

But we do not see this happening because of the false prophets (the “tares” sown among us) who are preaching “another gospel”. They do not understand the good news and are not preaching it with the true meaning.

It the gospel….the truth of the gospel…is hid, it is hid to them that are “lost”….that is, PERISHING. Their mortal bodies perish under the wrath of God that comes upon them and those who listen to them because of their unrighteousness.

2Co 4:3-4
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost (PERISHING)

They do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ but only serve for their own “belly”…their “god”…which has blinded their minds…lest the glorious good news of Christ should shine unto them.

(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

If only they would renounce the hidden things of dishonesty and not walk in craftiness nor handle the Word of God deceitfully, then they would understand.

2Co 4:2 KJV
(2) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Their end is destruction….destruction of the mortal body…as they serve for their own belly. They mind earthly things only while they “preach” themselves…seeking for their earthly necessities: what to eat, what to drink, what to wear.

Php 3:18-21 KJV
(18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
(19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

They do not understand the gospel of Truth as they are NOT looking for the Savior to change our mortal bodies so that it may be fashioned unto His glorious body.

(20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
(21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Beware of false prophets which come to us in sheep’s clothing…..ministers of supposed “righteousness” as they preach another gospel and want you to keep and serve their church handwritings of ordinances by which they judge others with.

MANY are being led astray by them unto their mortal destruction.

Mat 7:13-16 KJV
(13) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
(14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Their end is mortal destruction and they are leading many who listen to them down with them. The fruit of their things leads to death….the destruction of the mortal body.

(16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

The “tares” and the wheat have grown up together….going to the same man-based “churches”. The enemy has sown the tares among the wheat. False brothers have crept in “unawares” while men “slept”…fell asleep to doing His righteousness and lead many into their bondage of the keeping of the commandments and doctrines of men. The enemy "went his way"....the broad way that leads to destruction of the mortal body....just as Judas "went his way" and strangled himself. Their end is their mortal destruction ....and they take many down with them.

Mat 13:25-26 KJV
(25) But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
(26) But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

They have grown up together….but in the time of the harvest in the end of this age, He sends the reapers….His “angels”…His messengers…to speak His words to His church in the Spirit of Truth.

Mat 13:28-30 KJV
(28) He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
(29) But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
(30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The “tares” will not believe in what they hear Him saying via those whom He will send out to speak. They are gathered together by their unbelief. The wheat will believe.

Mat 13:37-43 KJV
(37) He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
(38) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
(39) The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
(40) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
(41) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

The unbelievers of the churches of men will then be cast into a furnace of fire where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (rage). The wrath of God will then be WITHOUT mercy and there will be no more sacrifice for their willful sins as their tongue will not cease in speaking evil nor will their “fire” be quenched. They will have received the FULL KNOWLEDGE of the Truth....the gospel of Truth...but will not believe in it and will respond to the hearing of His sent messengers of that Truth with evil words and evil deeds.

(42) And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
(43) Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The wrath of God will then be WITHOUT MIXTURE (no mercy). Their tongues will bring them torment. Their wickedness will return upon their own heads in their final judgment that they will not be able to get out of until they mortally die from this earth.

Rev 14:10 KJV
(10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

They shall mortally die in their sins…evil speaking… as punishment. They will not believe that it is the true Jesus Christ speaking to them. There will be no more sacrifice for their willful sins. Their judgment is final until they will perish from this earth …but before they do, their tongues that speak evil will bring them torment: weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Joh 8:24 KJV
(24) I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

For if we sin willfully AFTER we have received the FULL knowledge (epignosis) of the Truth, there remains no more sacrifice (of Jesus Christ) for sins but will have a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries (the unbelievers of the gospel of Truth).

Heb 10:
(26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge (FULL KNOWLEDGE) of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
(27) But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

The enemies who have received the full knowledge of the Truth are no longer in ignorance of it, will mortally die in their sins WITHOUT MERCY….WITHOUT MIXTURE>

(28) He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

Their tongues will be the source of their torment and will bring His swift unmerciful judgment upon them producing weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is set on fire of “hell”..that is, Gehenna.

Jas 3:6
(6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (GEHENNA )

Hello guys and gals. Yesterday, a group of folks including @essentialsaltes , @JosephZ and others have enlightened me on the ethics of bypassing paywalls, a structure that news agencies use to pay their employees. I now understand that using software to bypass paywalls is unethical (both from a secular, and Biblical perspective), as journalists need food on the table. Plus, I made a new friend here who likes classic anime from 20 years ago. If you want to support news articles, but do not want to use a paywall, some local libraries have licensing agreements with the New York Times, WaPo and other companies to allow library patrons free access to the news, covered by library expenses. That means a journalist can still get money to provide for their families and him/herself.

Today's thread will be on the ethics of gated journalism itself, and if there are potential alternatives to paywall systems for news. For instance, The Guardian and NPR rely on optional donations, as of April 2024. One could hypothetically choose to give a recurring donation of $10/mo to NPR, or a one-time support of £1 to The Guardian. For those who do science research, science journals are notorious for charging dozens of dollars per paper. However, there are scientific journals that have an open access system, such as MDPI, established in 1996. Here is a Guardian Article about paywalled science journals: Paywalls block scientific progress. Research should be open to everyone | Jason Schmitt

The Guardian's Statement of Open News


Alright, to the meat of the matter, from both a secular and theological perspective (cos both sides are beneficial):


From a Secular Perspective:

Secular Arguments for Open Access:
1. Advancement of Knowledge: Making scientific and news articles open access allows for the free flow of information, enabling researchers and the public to build on each other's work, leading to new discoveries and advancements in various fields.
2. Accessibility: Open access ensures that everyone, regardless of their financial situation or institutional affiliation, can access vital information for personal growth, education, and decision-making.
3. Economic Efficiency: Open access reduces the overall cost of research by eliminating paywalls and subscription fees, which ultimately benefits researchers, funding agencies, and the public.
4. Transparency and Accountability: Making information freely available promotes transparency and accountability, as individuals can verify the accuracy and validity of claims made in scientific or news articles.

Secular Arguments against Open Access:
1. Financial Sustainability: Many publishers rely on subscription fees to cover their costs and generate revenue, which could be put at risk if all content becomes open access. Journalists may not recieve a steady stream of income.
2. Quality Control: Open access does not necessarily guarantee the quality or credibility of the information being shared, as anyone can publish online. Therefore, some argue that there should be a way to vet and verify the accuracy of published content.
3. Intellectual Property: Publishers and authors have the right to protect their intellectual property, which can be a challenge when it comes to open access.


From a Biblical Perspective:

Biblical Arguments for Open Access:
1. Pursuit of Knowledge (Proverbs 1:5 ESV): "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles." This verse emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and understanding. Open access to scientific and news articles supports this pursuit by making vital information accessible to all.
2. Sharing Knowledge (Matthew 10:16 ESV): "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." This verse suggests that sharing knowledge can help people make informed, wise decisions when going out into the world and distinguish between right and wrong. Open access promotes this by making information readily available to everyone.
3. Transparency (Job 12:22 NIV): "He [God] reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light." This verse highlights the importance of transparency and shedding light on hidden matters. Open access supports this by making information publicly available for scrutiny and verification.

Biblical Arguments against Open Access:
1. Intellectual Property (Exodus 20:15 KJV): "Thou shalt not steal." This verse emphasizes the importance of respecting other people's property, including their intellectual creations. Publishers and authors have a right to protect and profit from their work, which can be a challenge with open access.
2. Discernment (1 Thessalonians 5:21 NAS): "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good." This verse encourages individuals to use discernment and evaluate information carefully. Open access does not guarantee the accuracy or credibility of published content, making it essential for people to critically assess what they read and consult multiple sources.
3. Supporting the Community (Proverbs 11:24 ESV): "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." This verse highlights the importance of contributing to one's community and supporting those who provide valuable services. By paying for subscriptions or purchasing access to content, individuals can help support publishers and the broader scientific and journalistic community.

A California gym coach who was looking for ways to drum up motivation for the students on his cross-country running team as they went away for the summer break came up with a brilliant idea: pair them with shelter dogs.

It was eight years ago when GNN first reported on it, and ever since it has become a mainstay of the training program at St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria, California.

It became so much more, however, after a simple video of the kids running with the dogs went viral, causing athletic directors around the country to phone St. Joseph and ask how they organized the program.

Steinbrenner High School in Lutz, Florida, was the second school that picked up on the shelter dog runs, and others followed suit like Rock Island High School in Rock Island, Illinois; all because of the viral video that occasionally resurfaces on social media to the delight of thousands.

“It was 60 seconds of genuine, organic kindness,” St. Joseph cross country coach Luis Escobar, who filmed the video, told the Washington Post. “The world needs kindness.”

Continued below.

So instead of leading the whistle blowing - 15 agencies "kept silent" as Trump pointed to Wuhan as the source for COVID 19 - and was being slammed by the opposing political party for daring to point it out, daring to let the American public know what they all knew to be true.

Another "Gotcha" program coming to light? More chickens coming home to roost.

Planned Parenthood’s latest report reveals that the abortion giant performed its highest-ever number of abortions the year Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Released on Tuesday, the 2022-2023 report, titled “Above & Beyond,” shows that Planned Parenthood performed 392,715 abortions between Oct. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022. This is an increase of 18,560 — or 5% — from the previous report, which showed 374,155 abortions in a one-year period.

According to an analysis by the faith-based law firm Liberty Counsel, Planned Parenthood’s latest abortion numbers mean that the organization ended 1,075 human lives through abortion every day and 44 every hour.

Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said that despite the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, “Planned Parenthood’s annual report reveals once again that its primary mission is making huge profit by aborting innocent babies.”

Continued below.

Father Marko Rupnik, a priest dismissed from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 2023 — accused since 2018 of having committed serious sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse against at least 20 women in the Loyola Community that he co-founded in Slovenia — continues to appear as a Jesuit and consultant to the Vatican in the 2024 Pontifical Yearbook.

The information appears on page 1346 of the yearbook, where the list of the consultants of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is published. The entry reads “P. Rupnik Marko Ivan, S.I.” The abbreviation “S.I.” stands for “Societas Iesu,” the Latin name for the Society of Jesus.

Rupnik was dismissed from the Jesuits on June 15, 2023. The decision was made public in a statement noting that on more than one occasion he ignored the restrictions imposed by his superior and refused to respond to his alleged victims and to address his past actions.

ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, contacted the director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, to ask him how it is that Rupnik appears in the Pontifical Yearbook but did not receive a response by time of publication.

Continued below.

In addition to the alleged statements about service members generally, Trump has publicly insulted McCain, in particular, by calling him "not a war hero," and "I like people who weren't captured," according to footage on C-SPAN.

The military code of conduct was name, rank, and serial number. Trump has every right to refer to someone who went outside of that code (see the link below for a war time story on McCain) as "not a war hero." That's not an insult!
An unbiased fact checker organization should just say they found no record of Trump saying those words and not editorialize based on their own politics. This is the problem with fact-checkers in general.

Pray that cooler heads prevails in regard to the military conflict between Israel & Iran:

Iranian Press TV also reported that an explosion was heard “near Iran’s central city of Isfahan”, adding the cause of the blast was not yet known.
Reports of the explosion come hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”

Iran's largest nuclear research complex is at Isfahan, I hope that was the target. I have previously posted on how Israel needs to take out Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities.

John 3:

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Click to expand...

Unlike some other Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the law, Nicodemus was humble when meeting Jesus.

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Click to expand...

Jesus introduced the concept of born-again. Naturally, Nicodemus wondered what it was about and asked an innocent question.

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit b gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Click to expand...

After hearing Jesus' answer, Nicodemus still had trouble understanding the concept and followed up with a further innocent question.

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

Click to expand...

Nicodemus did not contradict Jesus. He seemed sincere in his questions.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

Click to expand...

You are Israel’s teacher. You should have known. The idea can be found in the OT.

11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe;

Click to expand...

Nicodemus had not expressed unbelief. He merely raised questions, trying to understand what Jesus said. However, Jesus knew his heart: Nicodemus did not believe.

Jesus was more gracious in his encounters with, for example, the Samaritan woman at the well. Why didn't Jesus elaborate on his answer so Nicodemus could better understand born-again? The elaboration would have benefited us.

James 3:

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

Click to expand...

Nicodemus was an authoritative rabbi and was blessed with a lot of talents. Jesus expected more from him. Jesus expected him to believe immediately. Nicodemus was capable of it. That's why Jesus had more patience with the Samaritan woman than with him. He should have understood the idea of being born again quickly instead of questioning the words of Jesus.

In the end, Nicodemus did believe.

Man, Psalms 10:2-7 hits hard in today's society. Today I am trying something new here, by explaining the verse in a tabular format with today's date, verse, explanation and life anecdotes/applications. So, let us approach the table together, and chew on this verse. Alright, I'll stop with the puns.

The January 6 Committee has been caught repeatedly embellishing events from that day, withholding evidence and witnesses from their findings, and utilizing the public hearings to launch political attacks against Donald Trump in an attempt to handicap his presidential campaign. If Trump wins I expect that we will have a much more transparent government and that there will be great efforts to deal with corruption. For those who have not committed serious crimes there should be no worries.

Would you please tell me what glue I should use to reattach this corpus to this crucifix? (See photo.) Could you link me to the product from Amazon.com? Could you tell me what materials these appear to be? (Is it olive wood and stainless steel?)