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Only Jesus Can Keep America the Land of the Free!

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Many Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) like me, and possibly your Generation X children (born 1965-1980), are in shock that a “Democratic Socialist” with a Marxist/Communist/Islamic platform was elected as mayor of New York City, the financial hub and iconic powerhouse of not only America but the world!

So many things wrong with this that it’s hard to know where to start. But I believe this happened because one generation didn’t pass down to the next generation the historical horrors of socialism, Marxism, and communism along with the political and spiritual ambitions of Islam to wipe out Christianity and become the dominating government and religion in America and the world. The Islamic plan is that progressive liberals and the Democratic Socialist party will destroy our nation and then Islam comes in to devour it.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

I can still remember having drills in grammar school during the Cold War where we had to hide under our desk in case communist Russia attacked the United States. Since many of my classmates and I lived in the neighborhood where the school was located, we often had drills parading down the streets with a teacher leading us to our homes. We knew the dangers of communist dictators and we knew how fortunate we were to live in the free United States of America.

We lived through President Reagan’s call for the fall of the Berlin Wall separating oppressed communist East Germany from free West Germany and the fall of the Soviet Union.

We learned that communism is based on Marxism, a political and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Marxism provides the theoretical foundation for communism, a political ideology advocating for a classless society and common ownership of the means of production, the abolition of private property, centralized control of the economy and the establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat while destroying the nuclear family. We learned how to contrast that with the freedom of the American Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights with an elected government and not a dictatorship that took away all your rights. We learned to value our God, family, freedom, and the American flag.

Fascism is another system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, an economy subject to stringent governmental controls, and violent suppression of the opposition.

We also learned about Nazism, another form of dictatorship and domination of the population, that hated the Jews and the tragedy of the Holocaust. I can still see those black and white movies we watched in class.

When people who obviously don’t know what they’re talking about throw around slurs of calling people Hitler, fascist, dictator, and racist their ignorance of the meaning of those terms is alarming, especially when they’re often actually describing themselves! Anti-Semite college students praising Hamas terrorists and calling their political opposition Hitler are acting like Nazi’s themselves hating and terrorizing fellow Jewish students.

Liberal progressive teachers and professors who hate the country that’s given them so much have overtaken our education system in America. Many are indoctrinating children with lies and propaganda rather than teaching them the truth and facts about history and why we’re so blessed to live in America and not a socialist or oppressive dictatorship.

The enemy always goes after children because they become the future. Just like Palestinian children being taught to hate Israelite children, North Korea and China indoctrinating and training their children from an early age to hate the west. Sadly, instead of American children being taught to love America and God, they’re being filled with hate for their own county and their own bodies.

Exit polls reveal that Mamdani was elected by LGBTQ,  immigrants less than five years in America, and 70%-80% of the voters were under 30, especially women. The younger voters were either not born yet or too young to remember September 11, 2001 when Islamist terrorists flew two airplanes into the Twin Towers in New York City and one into the Pentagon. The fourth plane’s passengers overtook the terrorists and crashed the plane into a field killing everyone. Who can forget Todd Beamer’s “Let’s Roll”? Or maybe some did forget.

3000 people were killed on 911 and many first responders have since died from the exposure to fire and smoke. Those of us old enough to remember said we would never forget. New York City, the home of Ground Zero, did forget. They didn’t pass down the horrors of that day to the next generation.

After the failed attempt to destroy America from the outside, twenty-four years later, the attack is coming from the inside.

For clarification: Islam is the religion, while a Muslim is a person who follows that religion. In other words, Islam refers to the belief system supported by the Quran, and Muslims are the adherents of that belief. Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion with 1 in 4 people identifying as Muslim. You read that right. Not Christian!

Not every Muslim is militant, but every Muslim needs Jesus! If they live in America, they need to respect our constitutional law, NOT Sharia law, which has been tried in Minnesota and Texas already.

To hear militant Islamists’ ultimate plans, listen to this reel. The Muslim Brotherhood Leaders say they will push Sharia law in America “By Ballot or Bullet.” They’ve been saying this for a long time. First, they’ll get into Congress, then into schools, then state government all of which they’ve done, and ultimately Federal government. Islamist goals are to destroy America, as we know it and replace God with Allah. That’s not Islamophobia, that’s just quoting them!!

You say it will never happen?! It’s happening right now in the Democrat party with Socialists like AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, or “Democratic Socialists” Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani. Many Democrats endorsed Mamdani. Democrats are ripe for Islamic communist takeover as they move further and further to the radical progressive left championing the breakdown of the family, gender confusion, murder of babies, men in women’s sports, defunding the police, soft on crime, invasion of illegals who don’t assimilate but agitate.

In the November 4th election, there were 76 Muslim candidates and thirty-eight were elected. That should set off alarm bells for anyone who understands history and that America was founded on Judeo/Christian beliefs incompatible with Islam.

Why did the Islamist wait twenty-four years to attack New York City again? Because they needed an inexperienced generation who maybe never learned about 911 or an older generation who forgot.

Did all those under 30 voters who voted for 34-year-old Mamdani, including the young women enamored with the charismatic candidate, never learn in school about the financial downfall of countries ruled by Marxist communism? For those who love to go into the streets calling Conservatives “fascist,” did they never learn that communism only works under a real dictator where the people have no rights not given to them by the government? That the government controls your life? That they would never be able to protest or even vote in a dictatorship?

Recently, Democrat Minnesota Gov. Walz slipped and said the quiet part out loud, “Our rights come from the government.” Had Walz and Harris won, that would’ve been their administration’s goal. Walz’s statement describes socialism and communism, not America freedom founded on the belief that our rights come from God. Yet, in Mamdani’s fiery angry acceptance speech as the mayor of an American city, he said something similar to Walz, “We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve and no concern too small for it to care about.”

If you listen to the next mayor of NYC, he clearly said he hates capitalism and no one should own private property, only the government. As he promised free childcare, free food, free busses free free free . . . every sane person not mesmerized by him knows nothing is free. Someone always pays. It won’t all be paid for by taxing the rich who already pay half the taxes in NYC. Many wealthy business owners will just leave. Then who is going to pay for all the free stuff? And who would trust their child to government care?

Didn’t those young NYC voters hear about Venezuela or Cuba in school? Was communism and socialism glamorized? Were they taught to love America the free or to hate their country that offers an opportunity for ingenuity and prosperity to anyone willing to work and participate in this great Republic? Were they taught in school to hate God and biblical principles and values? What were they taught at home?

Millions of people want to come to America because of our freedoms and our rights as American citizens. If you work hard and save, you can have a good life, maybe even a great life. Freedom is never free!

Jesus Is THE ONLY Hope For the Next Generation and America

I highly recommend listening to Pastor Martin Sedra in this sermon on YouTube “Charlie Warned Us About Islam” where he talks about the Islamisation of the West. He says Muslims come to America or any country to establish Sharia Law. Like Mamdani, they smile and try to engage everyone, even the infidel Christians, Jews, and LGBTQ until they gain power and then they flip. The very next day after Mamdani’s revealing acceptance speech, he put out a video asking for donations and then took off to a luxury resort. By the way he charged his campaign workers on election night $13.00 a beer. No free beer with Mamdani!

Charlie Kirk could see the radicalization and indoctrination of the next generation, like the young man who shot him. Charlie wanted to reach college age and high school students with patriotism and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that, they killed him. And what did the liberal left do? They celebrated Charlie’s assassination.

As happens with martyrs like Charlie, often the cause they died for multiplies tenfold upon their death. The shot that killed Charlie was heard around the world. Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, is going to carry on Charlie’s vision and TPUSA chapters on college campuses and in high schools have exploded in number.

We need to praise God for this and pray for the next generation, the future of America. When I hear of a TPUSA event like the 10,000 students that stood out in the rain at Ole Miss University to hear Erika and VP JD Vance, I praise God. It was so encouraging and inspiring to see all those kids seeking the truth of Jesus Christ and learning how to live out Christian conservative biblical values. I encourage you to watch one of these events or even attend one.

Erika said in an interview that she thinks if Charlie could look down from heaven and see all these kids getting involved with TPUSA spurred on by his death and Jesus asked him if he wanted to come back to earth, Charlie would say no. Jesus changing lives was Charlie’s mission and his vision. Let’s hope and pray our country is saved by Jesus through the next generation who love their country, but most importantly love Jesus!

The Lord warned us to educate the next generation in the Gospel and Truth. Unfortunately, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have educated our next generations. But there’s a bright light of young Christians using social media to reach their generation in a positive way.

The Helms Triplets are three 18-year-old brothers whose parents didn’t let them have social media until they were seventeen. The boys wanted to share Jesus with their classmates and so they made a video on their mom’s phone sharing the gospel and Jesus. The next morning that video had over a hundred thousand views. So they decided to continue on their mom’s phone for six months then they moved their video presentations to their own phones, but that original video has now had over 3 million views!

Their names are Gage, Kaden, and Till Helms. Hearing them share their faith, which hubby and I heard on Flashpoint and Fox & Friends, was so refreshing. Listen to an interview on CBN with them here. God is using these young men in a mighty way. You can find them on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. I encourage you to tell your kids and grandkids about them @3N1Trilogy.

Pastor Jack Hibbs @ Calvary Chapel Chino Hills California held a prophecy conference on the Book of Daniel for high school and college age students with 1000 kids in attendance last weekend. Go Pastor Jack! I hope more pastors do the same.

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. Ps. 145:4

Hear this, you leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation. Joel 1:2-3

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deut. 6:6-9

Note: Our church supports Frontiers Ministry, which brings the Good News of Jesus Christ to Muslim countries.

A book recommendation is Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, the story of Nabeel Qureshi’s dramatic journey from a committed Muslim upbringing to embracing Christianity.

Please leave a comment here.

November 10, 2025
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Why Is It a Sin Not to Vote?

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Did the title of this blog get your attention? I hope so because the statistics of Christians who don’t vote in elections frankly is pathetic. I’m going to say what many pastors are afraid to say, it’s sinful.

God gave us the opportunity in America to choose our government leaders from the school board and local officials to the President of the United States. Yes, God gave that right to every citizen and our founding fathers underscored that based on God’s guidance scripturally.

However, according to research, only 51% of Christians vote even in Presidential elections and even less during midterms and off-season years like the 2025 elections. Does that shock you like it does me? Well, this should shock you even more . . . 93% of the LGBTQ population get out and vote!

It’s tragic to read those statistics. Christians aren’t only the largest voting bloc, we’re the laziest and most apathetic when it comes to actually voting. It’s a sin when we could make a biblical difference in our world and we abdicate that responsibility to secular voters. 

Christians wonder why they’re losing the battle of good versus evil and yet they sit out opportunities to win for righteousness. The Bible tells us that knowing the right thing to do and choosing not to do it is a sin.

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. James 4:17 NIV
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 NLT

Sin is something few pastors are willing to address, not to mention when it applies to voting and politics, which I wrote about in my blog last week. I encourage you to read it if you haven’t yet. What Are You Willing to Sacrifice for Your Beliefs?

The results of research reveal that large numbers of Christian churches have distanced themselves from elections, refusing to even encourage congregants to vote and they avoid teachings related to many of the key social issues on which an election may hinge. I call that abandoning the flock to the wolves of the world when so many Scriptures guide us in how to vote.

Think of the horrible liberal woke agenda that could’ve been avoided affecting our children. Gender confusion. Sexual mutilation. School sexual and anti-American indoctrination. Trans/drag cults. Men in women’s sports. High crime rates. Child trafficking. Murdering babies in the womb and so many more atrocities that could’ve been prevented if Christians had voted for moral government officials and ballot issues.

Here’s an interesting comment from an article in Outreach Magazine on a Study: A Surprising Number of Christians Say They Aren’t Voting: “I see two huge take-aways from this blockbuster report,” said Len Munsil, president of Arizona Christian University. “First, that Christians could be the deciding factor in a bunch of federal and state races and are choosing not to be. And second, that they are longing for their local church to instruct them on how to think biblically about policy and politics. They don’t want to be told how to vote, but they do want to know why they should vote, and how to view political issues from a biblical framework.

The research pinpointed several reasons why Christians are stepping away from the voting booth:

  • 68% lack interest in politics and elections
  • 57% dislike all major candidates
  • 55% feel none of the candidates reflect their most important views
  • 52% believe their vote will not make a difference
  • 48% think the election results will be manipulated

Interestingly, the data shows that if their church taught that voting is a biblical responsibility, one out of six likely non-voters would reconsider.

A Biblical Citizenship Guide to Voting!

It’s true you’ll always be voting for the lesser of two evils because Jesus isn’t on the ballot so that excuse is inexcusable. Christians have an obligation to be stewards of our American rights and voting is one of those important rights.

I want to share with you part of a devotional from The Idaho Family Policy Center.

“In a Boston Gazette newspaper essay, founding father Samuel Adams reminded Americans of their sacred duty when voting: ‘Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.’

Thankfully, the Bible speaks of all of life–and God does not leave us without instruction on how we ought to approach the ballot booth. Instead of relying upon our own subjective preferences as we cast our votes, Christians should choose civil leaders based on the qualifications God sets forth in his Word:

Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. (Ex. 18:21)

Notice the four characteristics in Exodus 18:21 that believers are directed to consider before supporting a candidate:

  • First, government officials should be able men who are capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the office they are seeking;
  • Second, government officials should fear God in both their public and private affairs;
  • Third, government officials should be men of truth who walk in integrity, and
  • Fourth government officials should display a commitment to hating covetousness, guarding themselves against corruption as they promote biblical justice and the common good.”

(Of course, these same biblical principles apply to women running for office.)

The Idaho Family Policy Center has created a scripturally based Biblical Citizenship Guide to Voting applicable to any Christian in any state. I encourage you to go to the link and read it. Here’s the introduction.

“The most prominent evangelist of the Second Great Awakening, Rev. Charles Finney (1792 – 1875), reminded Christians of their responsibility to “take the right ground in regard to politics” by voting the Bible: God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the church will take right ground.

Politics are a part of religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to the country as a part of their duty to God. It seems sometimes as if the foundations of the nation were becoming rotten, and Christians seem to act as if they thought God did not see what they do in politics. But I tell you, he does see it, and he will bless or curse this nation according to the course they take.

The Bible describes Christians as “salt” and “light” who preserve those things that are good while shining the light of God’s truth into every sphere of life. This includes the political realm, where Christians are called to exert a righteous influence on government. As citizens of our constitutional republic, we have the power to elect leaders who will pursue policies that have an impact on the lives of those in our families and our neighbors. Let’s make sure we do our homework and vote for candidates that will govern according to God’s principles!”

The headings in the guide are:

Voting: A Biblical Responsibility:

  • Christian Voting Glorifies God
  • Voting in the Bible

How Should I Vote?

  • 4 Biblical Qualifications for Public Officials

Again, this is a Biblical Citizenship Guide to Voting comprised by the Idaho Family Policy Center, but not just written for Idaho Christians; it’s written to every American Christian citizen.

November 4, 2025 Election

Crucial elections are taking place this election year. The governorships in New Jersey and Virginia could change those states to solid conservative red or liberal woke blue. Virginia Christians could make a huge difference in the values in their state by voting for Christian Winsome Earle-Sears who will maintain the executive orders of the current governor to protect unborn babies and prevent sexual indoctrination and surgical mutilation of children while honoring parents’ rights to know what their children are being taught in school. Her Democrat opponent has promised to undo all the good done by Governor Glenn Youngkin. You don’t have to do much research there to know how to vote biblical values.

Same in New Jersey where the Democrat candidate, who has many personal ethics issues she’s refused to address, vows to inflict the entire liberal woke green new deal scam on the state and LGBTQ curriculum in schools.

In New York City, an Islamist Communist could become the mayor of the financial center of America and the world. There is a Republican conservative running, but all the polls show the Communist winning! How did the voters of this great city let this happen at Ground Zero? Did they forget what happened on 911 or has the next generation not been told?!

Instead of another physical devastating attack on this great city, the enemy is working from within politically. A new generation that didn’t experience 911 is falling for the inevitable promise of free stuff that is never free. If you say anything against this nominee, they accuse you of Islamophobia. No, we’re free American Christian citizens and we want to stay that way. We don’t want to be governed by Communist Islamists who hate America even though they benefit greatly from living here.

Or in Minneapolis, a Somalian who campaigns in his native language, not English, is running for mayor.  

Prop 50 is on the ballot in California and if it passes, Governor Newsom will redistrict to eliminate Republican representation in that state! It’s a strong “NO” on 50 if conservatives want to have any voice in California ever again.

When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan. Pr. 29:2 NLT

I don’t live in any of those states, but I listen to what’s going on in the public square. Those elections, and the thousands in other states, could greatly affect the midterms and whether President Trump will be able to make the needed changes we voted for not only in the United States but also in global relations.

While many Christians fail to vote, there seems to be a general malaise about taking responsibility as citizens. There are only two items on the ballot in my hometown of Garden Valley, Idaho and both are tax levies. Not too exciting for an off-year election you might think but one is for the school district and one for the volunteer fire department and EMTs. There’s been much back and forth on social media about the pros and cons of each one, but I was interested to see someone post the following statistic.

“In 2022, for the last school levy, only 292 votes were casts. 234 were from Garden Valley, the rest were from Lowman. Garden Valley had 1812 registered voters, but only 12.9% voted.” For this year: “The school levy requires a simple majority to pass (50% +1 vote). The fire department levy will require a super majority to pass (66.7%). These are two very important issues that should not be left to a few to decide.”

Exactly what I’ve been saying in this blog. Why would we as Christians want to let a few decide our fate when Christians could be the most impactful voting bloc in America . . . when we vote!!!

“One of the most effective ways for Christians to exert a godly influence in their communities is through exercising their biblical responsibility to vote. Christians are uniquely equipped to judge candidates and policy proposals according to the universally true and unchanging principles given to us by God in His Word.” Biblical Citizenship Guide to Voting

Do your research, pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, and go vote on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, and every voting opportunity you have in your lifetime. It’s a biblical mandate and right as American citizens.

Please leave your comment here.

November 3, 2025
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What Are You Willing to Sacrifice For Your Beliefs?

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It’s good to be back with my Monday Morning Blog. I took a brief sabbatical from writing while hubby Dave had his 3rd major surgery in a year. This time it was a total shoulder replacement. If you know of anyone who has experienced this, or maybe you have, it’s no fun and requires a great deal of help from the caregiver. In our case, that would be me. So my brain was often in a fog keeping up with meds, chores, and being available 24/7. I’m happy to say we’re just over a month since surgery. He’s started physical therapy and becoming more independent even though he still is in a shoulder sling so only has the use of one arm as of this writing.

I’ve missed providing my commentary on the world’s events recently, but I’m ready to re-engage with some thoughts here. What the Lord has been showing me is the great divide that is taking place in our world today. Many have bravely exposed the source of that divide; others have remained silent counting the cost too high to speak up.

It’s no longer just a political divide. It’s a spiritual divide between good and evil and it’s invading churches, friends, and families.

This great divide isn’t new. Jesus was the Great Divider and because of that, He triggered many people who objected to what He said and did. The Bible and the Gospel triggers unbelievers. I purposely used the word “trigger” here because so often you hear pastors, teachers, school boards, even parents scolding or even punishing anyone who says something that might ‘trigger’ the opposing side or someone with a differing opinion.

Today, we see the left proposing and even justifying the use of violence if someone says something they disagree with that triggers them. We saw the ultimate culmination of that demonic thinking with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Instead of the left backing down and acknowledging the terrible result of their violent rhetoric, they’ve doubled down with many celebrating his death or even using it as a threat against conservatives to intimidate us from questioning them and speaking our own beliefs.

Jesus warned in John 15:20 “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”

That verse clearly sets the precedent for what Christians and conservatives are experiencing today with this cultural divide. If you’re a vocal professing Christian/conservative, you’ll probably be persecuted for your faith, values, and politics.

However, Jesus says, don’t let these persecutors intimidate or silence you because there’s also people like yourself living by a biblical worldview. If you’re willing to risk persecution and attacks to teach and share the Gospel and biblical values, other like-minded people will listen and also obey the teachings of Jesus in their personal and political lives.

Unfortunately, there are many pastors today who try to walk a neutral noncommittal line between these two groups to avoid loss of parishioners and tithing, or fear of complaints—persecution—by avoiding anything that would “trigger” someone in the congregation.

They appease the few rather than mature the flock.

I recently heard of a church where the young pastor was preaching a series on sin. Not skirting around sin but speaking directly to specific sins and what the Bible says about those sins. God hates sin and He’s not tolerant. Some congregants were so upset that they either stopped coming to church or said they would return when the series was over!!

Can you imagine that? I can. I’ve asked many times before when was the last time your pastor spoke about sins like abortion, homosexuality, adultery, same-sex marriage, lying, cheating, cursing? This brave pastor was willing to suffer the “persecution” of triggering people with the truth so he could teach those who wanted to know how to live biblically in a world that increasingly celebrates and legalizes sin.

This pastor was willing to cross over the great divide between good and evil, as every pastor should!

Jesus Triggered People Politically and Scripturally

Jesus shared the truth no matter what the cost. He knew, and even said, not everyone would accept it. The Gospel would divide people, but He didn’t come to unify, negotiate, or compromise good with evil. He came to earth and sacrificed His life on a cross to give everyone a chance to turn from his or her evil ways, repent, and follow Him. To cross over the divide from evil to good.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”  Matt. 10:33-36

Jesus was political. God created government. It was His idea.

By me kings reign
    and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
    and nobles—all who rule on earth. Pr. 8:15-16

Jesus’ life and mission carried with it political implications. His life was ended in a political execution because He challenged the status quo of the spiritual and government political leaders of the day.

In the opening of Mark’s Gospel, we find these words, “The kingdom of God has come near.” Mark 1:15

A new kingdom threatened the Roman government leaders and the Jewish religious leaders who each had their own kingdom reigns. Jesus knew that, but He never let it stop Him.

Jesus was not afraid of appearing political. While His kingdom is much different from any earthly kingdom, He wants His followers to adhere to Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” A prayer I pray every morning and try my best with the Lord’s help to live by and encourage others to do the same. 

Jesus was clear that the government shouldn’t interfere with the church. “Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Matt. 22:20

America has no “separation of church and state” either. It’s a lie from the devil. You won’t find it in the Constitution or Bill of Rights. The Johnson Amendment has been revoked by President Trump so churches and nonprofits can endorse candidates and encourage congregations to vote without losing their tax exemptions.

First Liberty Institute’s win in the Supreme Court for Coach Joe several years ago meant you can pray in schools, have crosses, Ten Commandments, and manger scenes on government land. Currently, First Liberty is representing high school seniors whose schools are preventing them from putting a Bible verse or faith-based imagery on their parking spots.  No Space for Faith? Another High School Senior Told She Can’t Decorate Parking Spot with Bible Reference – News – First Liberty

Unfortunately, many churches are still acting with their hands tied for fear of appearing “political,” while we’re watching our culture crumble around us. Half of the founding fathers who wrote the Constitution had seminary degrees and a large portion of the Constitution and Bill of Rights was based on the Bible. Preachers fought in the Revolutionary War for us to have religious freedom.

Yet over the years, a country based on Judeo/Christian laws and values has watched the church adapt, accept, or even endorse cultural sins. Remain silent while ungodly politicians and laws rule our country. Schools indoctrinate our children in Marxism and sexual perversion. Doctors murder unborn babies or mutilate children. Forgetting and failing to defend our country’s creed, “In God We trust!”

What Are You Willing to Sacrifice For Your Beliefs?

It’s been refreshing to see so many Christians, even pastors, step forward and run for office because they want to make a difference. They want to turn America back to a country with a biblical worldview. If you listened to Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, you heard many politicians and cabinet members sharing not only their faith, but the Gospel. They’re criticized and polarized regularly by the media and the left, but they don’t let it stop them from serving the American people.

I know they sacrifice. They’re doxed and horrible lies said about them. Their families and they need added security because you can be sure the evil one will try to take them down just as he did with Charlie Kirk.

I personally have lost both a speaking gig at a church and a writing a column in a Christian magazine because I share my political position publicly. To know me is to know I’m a Christian Conservative with a biblical worldview.

Often, I’ll write a blog and know there will be unsubscribes, but I just share a chuckle with the Lord when the same day there’s new subscribers. Like you, not everyone in my family agrees with me, but we find love is stronger than politics. I will admit though that it can cause division just as Jesus said in Matthew 10:33-36 above.

“We’re not just here to observe culture. We’re called to influence it. That means recognizing the space where God has given you authority and learning how to move with wisdom and presence in that place. It’s one thing to know you have a calling; it’s another to understand where and how to walk it out. In Daniel 2:44, we read that the Kingdom of God will not pass away and that it will ultimately influence every other domain. That influence doesn’t float down from the clouds. It happens through people like you. People who discern their mountain and take their place as salt and light in education, business, media, arts, government, family, and faith.” Lance Wallnau

What is your calling and what will you sacrifice to live out your beliefs both spiritually and politically? The world may hate us, but a great crowd of witnesses in heaven are cheering for us!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Is. 41:10

This is an excellent article well worth reading. There are so many great quotes; it’s hard to pick just one. Here are two from The Anglican Church’s Split: When the culture wins over Scripture.

“The pattern is clear: When the Church accommodates culture, it loses its reason for being. But when the Church stands on the Word of God, even when costly, it offers something the world cannot: truth, hope, and the unchanging Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“A church that won’t stand on Scripture will not stand for freedom. A church that bends to culture on marriage and gender will bend on education, parenting, and religious liberty. The call is clear, hold fast to the historic faith. Do not be moved by cultural pressure. God’s truth has outlasted every empire, every ideology, every revolution. It will outlast this one.”

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb. 13:8

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October 27, 2025
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Who Will Mentor the Next Generation after Charlie Kirk?

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As we continue to read stories about our brother-in-Christ Charlie Kirk, whose ministry, purpose, and calling was to reach the next generation for Jesus and biblical conservative values, we hear and read the word “mentor” repeatedly. Charlie relished and benefited from being mentored by many godly wise older men who were further along in their walk with Christ. These men saw the potential in Charlie and many of them referred to him as a son, which reminds me of the apostle Paul who mentored young Timothy like a spiritual father.

I won’t list all the men and pastors who mentored Charlie for fear of missing one, but one of the first was Pastor Rob McCoy who met Charlie when he was starting the Turning Point movement and encouraged him to be bold about his faith. Pastor Rob, who Charlie called “his Pastor,” gave the opening message and eulogy at Charlie’s memorial. His son Mikey is the Chief of Staff at Turning Point USA and also shared a tribute to his friend, mentor, and boss Charlie, as did many of the TPUSA staff.

Pastor Jack Hibbs also mentored Charlie, and Christian author and apologist Frank Turek was with Charlie when he was shot. Frank said he’d been mentoring Charlie, who he described as his fourth son, in answering the tough questions Charlie would receive during his “Prove Me Wrong” debates on college campuses. Charlie had asked Frank to accompany him to the Utah event to help him sharpen his responses. Iron sharpening iron.

Listen here to Turek recounting that horrible trip to the hospital with Charlie, which he tells in more detail than he did at the memorial. Have a Kleenex handy.

Charlie didn’t just receive mentoring, he did what we should all do, he passed on to others what he had learned from his mentors. I sign my book Mentoring for All Seasons with “Find a mentor, be a mentor.” That’s exactly what Charlie did. I’ve been following a young political influencer, Brilyn Hollyhand, for a number of years. He’s now 19 and shares how Charlie took the time to take him seriously and mentor him when Brilyn was only eleven years old!

Hollyhand says Kirk was one of his closest friends in politics, calling him a mentor. He said the two met while Hollyhand, then 11 and in the fourth grade in Tuscaloosa, was starting up a podcast. “He didn’t have to make time for me as an 11-year-old with this podcast in the fourth grade, but he did,” Hollyhand, an Auburn University freshman, said.

“He [Kirk] helped me get my start in politics. He didn’t have to but he did and he always cheered me on,” Hollyhand tweeted. You can hear Brilyn’s tribute to Charlie and their mentoring relationship scrolling down here in this article. Like Charlie, Brilyn is mature beyond his age. Hollyhand is a frequent speaker and often on FOX News and Flashpoint, and he’s planning a 10-stop campus tour to carry on Charlie’s legacy! I just read that TPUSA is collaborating with Brilyn in this tour.

Charlie also mentored C.J. Pearson, a 22-year-old political strategist and national co-chair of the RNC Youth Advisory Council named as one of the 2025 Time100 Creators. Pearson, like Hollyhand, began his political work at a young age blogging at age 8 and knew Charlie since he was twelve.

These are just two examples of Charlie taking time out of his insanely busy schedule to pour into young men. Charlie’s heart was with the youth and now we’re watching thousands upon thousands of young people being impacted by his tragic death. Stories of teens saying they’re going out and buying a Bible and they’re not even sure why. We know why. It’s the Holy Spirit prompting the outpouring of love and tribute not only in America but in other countries too.

My question: Who will mentor all these young people? They’ve been touched by Charlie’s life and death and responding to the Holy Spirit, but just like Charlie, Brilyn, C.J., you, and me the Bible tells us clearly that one generation is to teach and train the next generation, just as mentors taught us.

I pray our churches start mentoring ministries or at best encourage their congregants to look for young people to be a Charlie in their life. Last week, I shared how my 19-year-old granddaughter, Katelyn, said of Erika Kirk, “She’s truly an incredible and strong woman and 100% the type of woman I want to be.” Erika will be a godly role model for all young women.

Many pastors are seeing that Charlie’s tragic death is inspiring a renewed interest in faith among young people that we’re watching grow. It’s a revival of the sense of value in truth and conviction bringing faith back into the public square where our founders meant for it to be from the beginning of our country.

Who will keep that spiritual fire burning that the enemy tried to snuff out? I pray it’s you and me!

Mentoring is passing on wisdom: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Tim. 2:2

Mentoring is setting an example: “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned…” Titus 2:7-8

Mentoring is learning through imitation: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Phil. 4:9

Mentoring is iron sharpening iron: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Pr. 27:17

Mentoring is good advice: “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors.” Pr. 11:14

Mentoring is The Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” Matt. 28:19-20

Mentoring is sharing wisdom: “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” Job 12:12

Mentoring is one generation sharing with the next: “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” Ps. 145:4

No More Gaslighting

Before I close, I want to address the Jimmy Kimmel fallout. I hope you read last week’s Monday Morning Blog. If you didn’t, you can read it here How “They” Killed Charlie Kirk. In it, I mentioned that the late-night unfunny hosts were part of the “they” who killed Charlie, and Jimmy Kimmel underscored that truth the Monday night after Charlie’s murder when he tried to characterize the radicalized left-wing, Kirk-hating murderer as part of the “MAGA gang.”

Kimmel hit an all-time Trump Derangement Syndrome low by trying to gaslight the audience when everyone knew by then that it was an outright intentional lie.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.

Kimmel’s comments came one day after both FBI officials and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said that the assassin Robinson held a “leftist ideology” and was increasingly radicalized in recent years. It was also revealed that he had a romantic relationship with a transgender partner who was biologically male and transitioning to female and he had etched fascist and trans/furry words into the bullets along with texts professing that he hated Kirk and was planning to take a shot.

This is reminiscent of how Kimmel and so many on the left kept trying to tell audiences that they really didn’t see Biden stumbling, mumbling, and incompetent. Kimmel had such an inflated ego that he thought he could stand on a stage and spout lies about the things our own eyes had seen and we knew as facts. But this time he went too far in not just disparaging MAGA, but desecrating the memory of Charlie Kirk.

It seems that instead of apologizing, Kimmel was going to come on Wednesday night and double down further attacking Trump supporters claiming we twisted his comments, which plainly came from a very twisted mind. ABC wisely intervened.

We’re watching schoolteachers, even here in Idaho, pilots, nurses, doctors, school administrators and so many more actually celebrating Charlie’s assassination?! But this isn’t new. We’re appalled at watching so many who celebrate murderers instead of the victims like with Luigi Mangione who shot an insurance CEO and father of two in the back. This sick reaction is now being characterized as a “death culture” or “assassination culture” normalizing horror, especially to kids. There are actual online “gore” sites like “WatchPeopeDie,” where Charlie’s assassin maintained an account and had interacted with posts. These sites encourage diabolical behavior. You can read more about this evil use of social media here.

Fortunately, many of these sick people are encountering consequences. Praise God, the teachers influencing our children who’ve been posting left-wing ideology posts and videos for years and immediately started celebrating Charlie’s death online are now being fired. Even students are calling for them to be removed.

“And I need to say this, no child of God celebrates death. Only darkness does that. If you find yourself cheering over tragedy, you need to take a hard look at your soul. Beg God to rescue you because something else has its grip on you.” Charlie Kirk

Not only are we in a spiritual revival, we must overcome the demonic in our society with the power of Jesus Christ. If you don’t think demons are alive and active in today’s culture, there’s no other answer for the blatant overt evil in our world today.

The Bible tells us there will always be evil until Jesus returns, but as Christians, we’re supposed to put on the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) like Charlie with a smile, and “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Eph. 6:18). Then fight the spiritual war against evil by using whatever gifts the Lord has empowered us with through the Holy Spirit. I like the way Robert Kennedy Jr. put it at the memorial, “We can develop community through conversation. Say what we mean without being mean,” just like Charlie did.

“The days of silent Christianity are over. Evil is no longer hiding in the shadows — it’s parading in the streets, demanding our agreement. To take a stand for truth does not make you “political,” it makes you a follower of Christ. Now is the time for the church to rise up, uncompromising and unafraid, declaring the Gospel with boldness and power.”—Mario Murillo.

It’s vitally important that we don’t let the emotion and horrific murder of Charlie Kirk relapse into apathy after his amazing memorial. The Holy Spirit is moving. Let’s start mentoring!

“All of you who are believers, it’s your job to shepherd [mentor] new believers. Water the seed and make it grow. The seed has only just been planted, and the enemy will go after it.” Erika Kirk at Charlie’s memorial

PS: Many of you comment on the research I do for my blogs. I just keep my ears and eyes open after God gives me an idea for an article. I want to give a shout out to the Media Research Center who is the watchdog for media and in the fight for truth, free speech, and America. Dave and I just went on our second cruise with MRC. They stay on top of all the news to keep mainstream media accountable.

Here are two articles from the Media Research Center (MRC) for you to read and do your own research.

 How Outrage at Kimmel Grew to a Shout from a Whisper. MRC NewsBusters Alex Christy

Holding ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel accountable isn’t ‘cancel culture’—it’s basic fairness. By David Bozell, President of MRC

PSS: If you didn’t see Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service, I encourage you to watch all five hours of it here. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was spoke continually, even from some people who might surprise you.

PSSS: Hubby is having shoulder replacement surgery this Wednesday and we cherish your prayers. I’ll be putting on my caregiver hat again, so there won’t be a Monday Morning Blog for a few weeks.

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September 22, 2025
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How “They” Killed Charlie Kirk!

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Most of us will never forget where we were when we heard that Christian apologist and freedom crusader Charlie Kirk was assassinated the day before we were to honor the memory of 9/11. I had just picked up my cell phone and the first post on my “Home” page was the video of Charlie being shot as he sat under his “Prove Me Wrong” tent taking questions from students at Utah Valley University. I wish I’d never seen it, but it’s now embedded in my memory.

I, like many of you, were in shock as I began to pray that this horrific demonic act of violence would not be fatal. I knew that Charlie had so much more work to do for the Lord and the conservative movement reaching the next generation that surely he would survive. I saw in the video that Charlie had reached for his neck and then the video went dead. It was surreal.

It wasn’t long before my daughter Kim and granddaughter Katelyn were texting me. Katelyn had attended Charlie’s Turning Point USA event at her college Boise State University last spring. She and her friends were so excited to see him in person that they arrived early and were right up front of the tent where Charlie sat. Their smiling faces appear in many videos and pictures posted on the Turning Point website. She’s a member of BSU campus Turning Point USA.

Far too soon, I received a call from my husband who heard on TV and a text from my daughter that Charlie had died. I think I said something like “Oh, God, no!” My daughter told me not to call Katelyn because she was crying and had to leave class to compose herself.

I’m sure you’ve read many tributes to Charlie’s love for his wife and young family, America, conservative values, but above all, his love and devotion to Jesus Christ and the Bible. As recent as June 29, he answered a question by host Jack Selby on “The Iced Coffee Hour” about how he wants to be remembered if “everything completely goes away?” Charlie answered, “You mean when I die? I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith,” he emphasized.

That’s exactly why so many Christians are mourning his tragic and untimely death. One of our brothers in Christ was felled by a radicalized deceived demented man with a targeted bullet meant to not only silence Charlie, but to silence anyone with conservative Christian values bold and courageous enough to voice and defend their beliefs in the public square.

Charlie was a fellow believer and brother in the family of God. We were thrilled for this young conservative influencer who founded Turning Point USA at eighteen and became close to President Trump and good friends with VP Vance and many of the cabinet members as well as conservative newscasters and influencers. Charlie was taking the Christian and conservative message to the corners of the earth and specifically into the lion’s den of today’s colleges.

That’s exactly why he was martyred! Many are calling it a political assassination, but it was also a spiritual assassination for his faith in Jesus Christ. Charlie vocally and unashamedly supported candidates who shared his conservative biblical values and was encouraging college students to consider those values in their own life and vote accordingly. President Trump and both his sons have publically said that Charlie was instrumental in getting out the younger generation’s vote that helped President Trump win the 2024 election and he would’ve done the same for the upcoming midterms and future elections.

In my opinion, that’s why “they,” brutally took him down. He was an influential voice “they” couldn’t control. Only 31 with a promising future. Some predicted he would be president someday. “They” couldn’t tolerate such a threat to their power.

Who Are The “They”?

Newscasters, commentary and opinion authors, podcasters, and public speakers reporting on Charlie’s assassination repeatedly pepper their discourse with the inclusive “they” because the opposition isn’t composed of a singular person, group, or entity. Yes, it seems one radicalized man shot the bullet, but who are “they” that influenced and indoctrinated him to commit such a brutal vicious satanic act? Every time I hear “they,” I ask myself, “Who are ‘they?’”

“They” is a compilation of Marxist/Communist and Islamist ideology in academia, media, social media, and government. Let’s look closer.

“They” are the college professors, schoolteachers, and administrators like assistant campus director at George Washington University who took to social media shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk and said it is “fair” that Kirk was gunned down due to his support of gun ownership and the Second Amendment.  “No thoughts no prayers,” the GWU employee added. 

Heather Mac Donald, Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute told Fox News Digital that it is “hard to imagine” Kirk was killed for “any other reason than that he was breaking the stranglehold of anti-Western ideology on college campuses and beyond. . . It was sadly fitting that he was killed at a college campus, and not even one known for its leftward leanings, since colleges are the seed bed of modern day speech suppression and the false equations that political contrarian speech = hate speech and that hate speech may be snuffed out—apparently by any means necessary.” 

Mac Donald continued, “The killer apparently agreed with those would-be censorers.  The self-centeredness and historical and moral ignorance of coddled American students has bloomed into something more pernicious, as the beatification of Luigi Mangione already showed.”

The suspected killer was a former Utah State University student and attended Dixie Technical College.  Was he radicalized there or maybe before? We’re aghast at Palestinian Arab children being taught antisemitic hatred and to glorify anti-Jewish terrorists or terrorists using young people as suicide bombers at early ages and yet this same hatred of Jews, Christians, conservatives, and God is being taught right here in the USA! Crooks died trying to assassinate President Trump at 20. Charlie’s shooter is 22.

“They” are the Illian Omar’s who vulgarly said Charlie brought his murder on himself for daring to speak out against wokeness and called his supporters s**t.

“They” are the governors like Walz who said our rights come from government not God. Pritzer who said Charlie’s free speech brought on his own death.

“They” are the Democrats yelling, “NO” to praying for Charlie in Congress the day he was murdered as one Republican congresswoman yelled out “you caused this.” I agree “they” absolutely have caused Charlie’s death with their radical, liberal, godless, immoral policies, and violent rhetoric.

“They” are the Democrats’ spouting hypocrisy with canned statements of “there’s no place for political violence.” They were the very ones calling for violence against conservatives, putting a bullseye or 86 target on President Trump with 2 assassination attempts. They told restaurants and businesses to say conservatives weren’t welcome. They were silent while Teslas and dealerships were vandalized, and cities burned during rioting protests. They’ve called Trump, Charlie, and MAGA followers a Nazis cult, fascists, KKK, racists, white supremacists, toxic, deplorables, Christian nationalists, right-wing extremists, and an existential threat to democracy, terms algorithms pick up and flood the phone screens of the impressionable and unstable.  

If Charlie was a liberal, there would’ve been violence in the streets across the nation condoned by the left. But what did our side do? We held prayer vigils across America and 17 countries, with police protection from liberal harassing protestors. That’s the difference between “they” and us.

“They” are the liberal progressive left who have tried to redefine morality and rewrite the foundations and history of our country, eradicate the Constitution, deny the biological reality of two sexes, legalize the murder of innocent babies, destroy the family, emasculate men, sexualize children, and eliminate God from the culture.

“They” are the liberal lying legacy media propaganda. Here’s a summary from the Media Research Center and a few I added of how some of them reacted to Charlie’s assassination:

Some outlets showed basic decency. But the usual suspects fell back into their worst habits. MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian blamed Trump’s immigration enforcement for stretching FBI resources, as if border policy caused Charlie’s murder. Nicole Wallace claimed democracy itself made it harder to track domestic threats, twisting mourning into an indictment of voters.

CBS Morning Host Burleson asked former speaker Keven McCarthy, “Speaking of this tragedy, is this a moment for your party to reflect on political violence? Is it a moment for us to think about the responsibility of our political leaders and their voices and what it does to the masses as they get lost in misinformation or disinformation that turns in, and spills into, political violence?”

ABC’s Kyra Phillips recited a laundry list of Charlie’s “controversial” statements — DEI, Jews, women, LGBTQ, people of color — as though disagreement justified violence. Aaron Katersky suggested Charlie’s presence “divided the campus,” ignoring the overwhelming majority who welcomed him.

At CNN, Oliver Darcy smeared conservatives for “partisan gain” while himself reducing Charlie to a “right-wing activist” with “contrarian” views. This is the Alinsky playbook: accuse others of what you are guilty of.

MSNBC host Matthew Dowd was fired for his comments right after the shooting, “He’s been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” blaming Charlie for being assassinated. Cold. Evil.

MRC concludes, “These responses reveal what we already know: the media’s ideology outweighs their humanity. Even in tragedy, they cannot rise above their loathing of the right. This is the challenge we face. The political Left and their media allies have normalized hostility, treating conservatives as enemies rather than fellow Americans. It must end.”

“They” are the late-night liberal hosts who have turned what once was comedy into a constant barrage against President Trump, Republicans, and conservatives.

“They” are social media where people are exposed to hate and vitriol, especially if you hold conservative views. Young people are often indiscriminate on who and what they follow. Friends of Charlie’s killer say he was radicalized in “the deep dark corners of the internet, the Reddit culture.”

“They” are BOT Farms, which I just learned about. Bots, not real people but electronic BOTS programmed to respond automatically on social media to escalate furor. Russia uses BOTS as does China especially on Tik Tok. Large facilities where people work to inflame situations to damage the US.

“They” are the dehumanizing gaming industry glorifying killing and death that many young men, including the assassin, are addicted to like cocaine.

“They” are those who are fostering and financing politics as a cultural rage.

“They” are the evil side of the spiritual war we now find ourselves embroiled in and to which Charlie Kirk became a wounded warrior. Charlie fought the battle with grace, joy, humility, wisdom, honesty, persuasion, and truth, yet “they” killed him. The Bible clearly defines what fuels “they.”

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)

The “They’s” Killed Charlie Kirk, But We Will Carry On His Legacy!

“There is an enormous difference between hate speech and speech that ‘they’ hate!” Pastor Craig Adams

One or more of the above “theys,” conceived and manipulated by the powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil, influenced Charlie’s assassin. Who knows which “they” influenced the killer most, but it was probably a combination of many or maybe even others.

Evil hates good. Satan hates Christians. Charlie was a fearless and bold Christian who unashamedly shared how to become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. While he was firm and resolute in his delivery, you never heard him lose his temper, yell, or swear. He was courteous and kind even to those who disagreed vehemently with him. He was a bridge between both sides, with many saved at his TPUSA events.

Minds and hearts were changed to embrace Christian conservative values. Satan hated Charlie for that and for his biblical worldview. The devil found a willing soul to radicalize and fill with deadly hate to the point of killing in cold blood someone he’d never met. He could’ve picked up the microphone to debate with Charlie, but instead he cowardly picked up a gun to viciously kill him.

Charlie would want us to pray for his killer to be saved. He always said to pray for your enemies, which is something hard for most of us to do right now in our righteous anger and grief for a precious life taken far too soon.

“Conservatives will not be silenced,” Heather Mac Donald, told Fox News Digital, adding that Kirk “would not have been silenced” so conservatives should “emulate his courage.”

Mac Donald added, “It is a cliché and self-serving to say: they fear us because we are winning, but presumably, there is less of a perceived need to efface someone who is losing a cause anyway. Kirk was feared because he was winning.”

Charlie is still a winner! He has received a martyr’s crown with Jesus hugging him and welcoming him into heaven as a good and faithful servant. In Charlie’s own words, “All death can do to the believer is deliver him to Jesus.”

We’ll see you soon Charlie, but until then we’ll carry the torch of freedom and faith you passed down to us. We are Charlies Now! We are Onward Christian Soldiers!

Anyone who has followed my writings knows I’ve been sounding the call for the church, and that means Christians, to bravely and boldly take a stand for God and truth in the public square. I’ve also said that good can never unite or compromise with evil.

The battle lines are clearly drawn, and every American must choose if you’re on the Devil’s side of evil and violence or if you’re in the Lord’s army. Are you with the “they” side or are you on the Lord’s side? There’s no middle ground.

For those on the Lord’s side, we will not be shaken. We will not be silenced. We will put on the armor of God, take up the Word of God the “sword of the Spirit,” and we will prayerfully fight for Jesus’ Truth and Righteousness in this spiritual battle until the Lord returns.

Sweet Testimony from the Next Generation!

I leave you with the words of my nineteen-year-old granddaughter Katelyn when I asked if she had seen Erika Kirk’s eulogy to her husband. Here was my sweet Katelyn’s response. She represents the young “Charlie’s” who will continue his legacy.

“She [Erika] is so inspiring that in the face of true evil and probably the biggest tragedy she will ever have to face, she still said God is good and even though she doesn’t know what this means, He does. She’s truly an incredible and strong woman and 100% the type of woman I want to be. But ya know it was still really sad.”—Katelyn Mancini

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September 15, 2025
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7 Ways Satan Stops You From Reading Your Bible

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Satan works overtime in trying to stop us from reading our Bible because he knows better than anyone that it’s God’s written Word, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). It’s our only offensive weapon in spiritual warfare. A treasure chest of wisdom, teaching, knowledge, encouragement, and equipping for service in God’s earthly kingdom. The Bible is a love letter to those who believe in Jesus Christ and a spiritual resource for seekers.

We may not even recognize Satan’s assault on our lives with deception, distraction, and discouragement. But when we become aware of the enemy’s tactics, we can neutralize him. Here are seven ways Satan tries to keep your Bible closed and strategies to outmaneuver him.

  1. Not Taking Your Bible to Church

      As the pastor prepared to start his sermon, he told anyone who needed a Bible to raise their hand and they’d be given one to keep. No hands went up! The parishioners knew that every Scripture the pastor used in his sermons was on a handout in the church bulletin, as well as projected on screens at the front of the church. Why would they need a Bible?

      Sadly, this has become the norm in many churches today. Congregants become passive instead of participants, as they’re spoon-fed Scriptures and feel there’s no reason to bring their Bible to church. Can churches still be considered “Bible churches” when no one opens a Bible, sometimes not even the pastor?

      Regardless if your church projects Scriptures on a screen, take your Bible to church and look up Scriptures the pastor uses in his sermon. Make notes in the margin or underline passages in your Bible that God uses to speak to you. If you’re not sure where a book in the Bible is located, check the Table of Contents. The more you interact with your Bible, the quicker you’ll learn your way around it. Some people put index tabs in their Bibles to locate the various books. You may prefer having a Bible on your phone instead of a hard copy, but still open and read from it.

      I’m fortunate to attend a church where people bring their Bibles. What a blessing to hear Bible pages turning and the joy this must bring to our Lord.

      As we grow in our maturity and relationship with Jesus, taking our Bibles to church, looking up Scriptures, writing notes in our Bible, reading along in our Bibles also sets a godly role model for our children and grandchildren. Flashing Scriptures on a screen or printing them in a handout often tossed after church, will never replace knowing and reading the written Word of God from your personal Bible.

      I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Ps. 119:11

      2. Dark Churches

      Several years ago, I wrote an article “Why Is the Church Going Dark?” The single most repeated comment was from people complaining they couldn’t read their Bible in dark churches. Even though churches may slightly raise the lights during the sermon, it often isn’t sufficient to locate or read Scriptures in your Bible. Many said they gave up and relied on the screens.

      Usually, the justification given for a dark church is to attract the younger generation. I haven’t seen any studies supporting that premise. Church youth rooms are brightly lit. We’re called to mentor the next generation using God’s Word to teach them the value of knowing and reading their Bible to develop their own personal relationship with the Lord. Sitting in a dark room looking at a screen, or maybe at their phones, robs them of the opportunity to discover and interact with the intertwining wonders, prophecies, symbolisms, and foreshadowing of Jesus in the Bible.

      Some parishioners say they prefer it dark so they can worship without being seen or distracted, but one of the purposes of church is corporate worship and fellowship with the family of God. Families don’t sit at home in the dark. If you attend a dark church and you can’t read your Bible, talk to the pastoral staff and ask them to turn up the lights during the sermon.

      Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Ps. 119:105

      3. Relying on Devotionals

      Like many of you, I enjoy reading a daily devotional in my quiet time with the Lord. But it can become expedient and convenient to read the devotional without ever opening your Bible. We might be tempted to let the devotional suffice as our daily Bible reading, especially when time is limited. If this becomes a regular habit, we could go days, weeks, months, or even years without ever reading from our Bible.

      Devotionals often include Scripture references without printing out all the specific verses. This sneaky way looks good, but also keeps your Bible closed, and that’s not good. One way to interact with a devotional is to look up in your own Bible all the Scriptures referenced and read them in context from the Bible. Ask God how He wants to apply the passages to your life, not just from the devotional author’s perspective.

      A devotional is inspirational, but it’s the author’s viewpoint and discernment on a particular Scripture or passage. Someone else’s interpretation of verses they’ve read in their Bible. God wants us to study, read, and research in our own Bibles. Never let devotionals replace devotion to your Bible. Devotionals have their place, but let it be said of us . . .

      I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Ps. 119:16

      4. Time Pressures

      We live in a fast-paced, urgent, and over-committed world. God definitely doesn’t want us racing through life with pressures that don’t offer an opportunity to sit for a moment and read a few words from Him before we head into our day. Satan does want us living over-committed and stressed. He wants us to struggle through days with a heavy burden that causes many to turn to unhealthy addictions instead of to God who says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

      Satan tells us to get up and get going or we’re a slacker and a loser. God says, give me a few minutes of your time and I’ll help you enjoy the day relaxed, refreshed, and productive. Some people, like me, wakeup with a to-do list on our mind or fresh ideas for a project. We’re tempted to make coffee or tea and get to work. Maybe you identify. I’ve learned if I take a few moments to open my Bible and ask God to reveal His plans for me through His Word, my day goes smoother and often a Scripture will be exactly what I needed.

      Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. Ps. 119:49

      5. Don’t Know Where to Start

      The Bible can seem intimidating when you first begin reading. It’s actually a compilation of 66 separate books! Maybe you’ve tried starting at the beginning in Genesis and the reading goes well until you get to Leviticus and Numbers. Satan plants doubt in your mind of why everyone is so inspired with this Book of animal sacrifices and genealogies. Soon the Bible is back on the shelf collecting dust.

      Instead of abandoning the Bible, reach out for help. Mentoring from a spiritually mature believer can offer suggestions and guidance like starting with a Life Application Bible, which offers explanations and ideas of how to personalize Scriptures.

      Unfortunately, there aren’t many Christian bookstores available to peruse and look at different Bible translations, but you can shop on websites with peak inside views to find a translation that resonates with you. When I first started reading the Bible, I actually chose an illustrated Children’s Bible and I recommend this even for adults. Jesus tells us to come to Him as little children. Eventually, you can progress to a more mature translation that suits you best.

      Joining a Bible study at church allows you to study and learn different books of the Bible with fellow believers who share wisdom and discernment in how to apply Scripture to life and world events.

      The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Ps. 119:130

      6. Feeling Like a Failure on a Reading Plan

      It’s a new year and you’re going to read the entire Bible in a year! You have the best of intentions. Maybe you select a daily reading plan with some of the Old and New Testament, adding in a Psalm and Proverb.  You’re excited and stay on track for the first few weeks, then life happens. You miss a few days and feel the serpent chiding with thoughts like, “You’re never going to make it through the year.” Or, “You’re so far behind, you’ll never catch up now. You might as well just give up.” Or, “Why do you want to do this anyway? It’s too much.”

      Sound familiar? It does to me. Here are some suggestions.

      • Join an online group reading the Bible in a year to provide encouragement that you can do it.
      • Put your Bible in a place where you see it as a reminder to pick it up and start reading.
      • Ask a friend or family member to join you. Doing things together is always better.
      • Some people are auditory learners and do better listening, so find a reading plan online that offers auditory daily Bible reading. I like to use my ear buds and listen to the Bible while I’m walking or on the treadmill. There’s usually sound effects and different people reading various roles with inflection and emotion. The Bible comes to life.
      • Even when you fall behind, keep going. No rule or statute commands reading the entire Bible in a year. Maybe it’ll take a couple of years. That’s okay. Every time you do read, God will speak to you in a new fresh way or reveal something you hadn’t noticed in the last reading of the same passage. An adventure with God. He’s not grading you on how fast you read; He just wants you to do it!

      I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. Ps. 119:147

      7. You Doubt If the Bible Is Relevant or Inerrant

      One of Satan’s most notorious lies to convince you not to read your Bible is to plant the seed in your mind that it’s an archaic book of fables written by men and has no use or relevancy in today’s modern culture. Sadly, even some pastors and theologians have fallen into Satan’s snare and abandoned the timeless inerrancy of the Word of God.

      G. Campbell Morgan once preached a sermon titled “Famine for the Word of God.” He said maybe there was someone in the congregation who, “You have become hardened to the touch of God, unconscious of the fact of God; and though His Word is living and quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, it fails to affect you.”

      When we stop reading our Bibles, we’ll suffer the fate of spiritual famine by losing our appetite for God’s Word, the bread of life (John 6:35). “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11 NLT

      Just as Jesus used Scripture to respond to Satan’s temptations in the desert before Jesus started His ministry (Matthew 4:1-11), the best way to combat Satan’s lies is with God’s own Words.

      God wrote all Scripture through human willing hands and hearts. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 NLT

      Jesus Christ is the Eternal Word of God. In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. John 1:2 NLT

      Jesus and the Bible never change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heb. 13:8 NLT

      No one should ever add or subtract from the timeless inerrant Bible. And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. Rev. 22:18 NLT

      We never reach a place in our faith where we know it all. God’s Word is new every morning and every reading. Never let Satan lie to you that the Bible is intimidating because the truth is that God’s Word is always inspiring! f you want to hear God, you need to engage with Him through the way He communicates: Prayer and His Word, the Holy Bible.

      “If we want to grow in our love for the Lord, we must draw near to Him through His Word. As we learn to know Him intimately, our love will increase and we’ll desire to obey. Unless we invest in Scripture, our fervor for the Lord will fall short of what it could be. And if you ever feel disappointed that your love for Christ seems small, open the Word of God and obey whatever He says, He will abide with you and disclose Himself, thereby increasing your capacity to love and know Him more.” Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Magazine, April 3, 2018

      A revealing of Jesus, the Messiah. God gave it to make plain to his servants what is about to happen. He published and delivered it by Angel to his servant John. And John told everything he saw: God’s Word— the witness of Jesus Christ! How blessed the reader! How blessed the hearers and keepers of these oracle words, all the words written in this book! Time is just about up. Revelation 1:1-3 The Message

      Please leave your comment here.
      You might also be interested in my latest Crosswalk article as the summer starts winding down. 4 Ways to Get Back into Church and Spiritual Practices after a Busy Summer

      August 18, 2025
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      Legislating Morality: A Christian Duty

      2

      I’m going to do something a little different in today’s Monday Morning Blog. I want to share an article about a very important duty for Christians: taking a stand for morality in the public square. That means advocating and voting for moral laws while opposing immoral laws. Morality is NOT subjective to the individual. Morality is absolutely and unquestionably defined by the Bible not the government or a person.

      Today, we’re watching rampant immorality in the streets of every city often displayed by acts of violence most notably lately by young children. What kind of moral upbringing did these thugs get in their homes if any?! Yes, we can blame it on the parents, but we can also blame it on the church. When’s the last time your pastor talked about the blatant immorality in our culture today, often being re-enforced by immoral laws?

      Maybe you’re one of those people who say you don’t bother yourself with “political issues.” Well I’m going to challenge you. That kind of thinking is immoral. It’s exactly why we see random shootings escalating, violence against innocent people in the streets, and car jackings. Children groomed and indoctrinated in schools to irrationally and immorally think that they can do the impossible and change their gender. Sex trafficking of children in America is at the highest level in any country on our watch!

      I’ve mentioned before that I pray every morning with Pastor Jack Hibbs on his daily Lift Scripture prayer time. What an amazing way to start the day. Several days ago, he pointed out something very interesting in Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “citizenship” in the Greek in this passage is actually the word “politics.”

      Yes, we are citizens of heaven and one way we should be living that out on earth is through our politics. You and I can each make a difference if we step out of our comfort zone and into our Christian citizenship persona.

      Understanding Morals

      “Understanding morals is crucial for our daily lives as Christians. Morals guide us on how to live in the way that pleases God. They help us discern right from wrong, ensuring that we uphold the values and standards outlined in the Bible. By understanding the essence of morals, we align our actions and decisions with God’s will for us. The Bible offers wisdom and guidance in moral living and serves as a compass for us, directing our paths as we navigate through life’s choices. When we seek to embody these morals, we reflect God’s character and promote goodness in the world around us.”

      I could go on and on. We are becoming Sodom and Gomorrah in a country once known for its Judeo/Christian values and morals. Here is the article I wanted to share, “Why Legislate Morality?” that I received in an email from Kent DelHousaye, Director of Church Engagement for Idaho Family Policy Center. I hope you’ll ponder and pray about how it might apply to you and what you could do to be a changing force in your sphere of influence.

      Friends,  
      A common objection to the idea of promoting biblically sound public policy is that it’s not mission-critical or even worthwhile for Christians and churches to get involved in “legislating morality.” But is this objection accurate?

      In short, NO. This kind of thinking is just wrong. There are actually seven reasons why we SHOULD care about “legislating morality.”

      1. All legislation is moral. The only question is whose morality will be codified? There is always a moral agenda behind every piece of legislation, just as there are moral implications for every law that is adopted. The issue for us is simply whether we prefer a law that reflects a godly morality or worldly morality.

      2. In a relativistic culture, accepted moral standards are determined by the laws that are passed, so the laws SERVE as the moral code of that society. If we want the ethical code of our society to be God-honoring, then we must seek to pass godly laws.

      3. As Christians, moral neutrality is not an option for us. If we believe in the lordship of Christ over all things, then his lordship includes government and law. If government is God’s domain, then government and its laws must serve his purposes.

      4. Since the church is a bulwark against evil, abstention from the political domain is not an option for us as it cedes the public square to ungodly leaders who co-opt it and use it for their own unfettered wicked purposes in the world.

      5. Our political silence makes us complicit. Failing to speak up about evil and injustice in society undermines our credibility and our witness in the world. It implies that we are either indifferent to — or, even worse, on board with — whatever immoral laws are being passed.

      6. Passing godly legislation is not in itself the solution to the wickedness of the human heart. However, moral conviction is often shaped by moral instruction. In other words, adopting laws which teach society to do the right things can often lead society to desire the right things.

      7. Godly legislation is a form of evangelism. Passing God-honoring legislation glorifies God by putting his character and commands on public display for all to see who God is and how his kingdom works.

      Bottom line, all legislation legislates some sort of morality—so whose morality are we legislating? Last but not least, watch this clip of IFPC President Blaine Conzatti on the Canon+ Man Rampant show responding to the question, “Can you legislate morality?” I highly recommend you give it a watch and a share!

      Standing for morality,
      Kent DelHousaye Director of Church Engagement

      He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8

      To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. – Pr. 21:3

      The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness. Pr. 15:9

      Opening picture from the Idaho Family Policy Center article.

      Please leave your comment here.

      August 11, 2025
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      Decoding Food Labels: What You Need to Know

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      Last week, I wrote my Monday Morning Blog on The Truth About Processed Foods and Health Risks and many said you enjoyed having me share about nutrition so I’m going to follow it up with this article focusing on reading food labels to know what you’re putting in your and your family’s body. Unfortunately, you can’t trust that everything in the grocery store or even health-food stores is healthy. You also can’t trust the wording on the packages used as a marketing tool to actually trick you into thinking a food item is good for you. It’s deceptive and hopefully will become illegal with MAHA calling for truth in labeling.

      I want to stress the importance of knowing what you’re putting into your body, which you expect to last a lifetime and isn’t replaceable. Just like paying close attention to what goes into fueling your car. If a product has ingredients incompatible with our brand of car, it destroys the operating mechanisms of the vehicle. The same is true with our physical bodies.

      Always Read Food Labels

      I saw on Facebook a man posting a picture of the ingredient list on his can of kidney beans and asking why it included sugar?! A great question. Good for him reading the label, but I’m sure he wishes he’d read it before he bought the beans.

      The ideal is to eat fresh whenever possible and avoid boxed, canned, and processed foods. Shop primarily on the outside aisles of the store, avoiding the long center aisles where most of the processed food is located. You don’t always have time to make everything from scratch, so we’ll talk now about tips for label reading. Purposely, manufacturers make the printing on most labels so tiny you might need a magnifying glass, cheater glasses, or use the magnifying App on your phone so you can read the fine print. If the ingredient list is super long, probably best to put it back on the shelf and not in your shopping cart!

      I read every label. If I don’t recognize an ingredient, I don’t buy the item. I avoid soy because of my breast cancer history. Some soy mimics estrogen in the body. The FDA has allowed the food industry to add soy indiscriminately to much of our food. “Soy lecithin” is one of the most ubiquitous additives in our food supply. It’s primarily an emulsifier found in everything from salad dressings to vitamins. The soy portion comes from soybean oil extracted from soybeans. You can avoid the brunt of soy lecithin by eliminating most processed foods, but read the labels.

      Unfortunately, most labels are purposefully ambiguous. The FDA is supposedly making labels more user-friendly, but the food industry is protesting against the higher cost of making new labels. They spend trillions of advertising dollars marketing processed foods that have gone from 0 % to 70% of our diet in the last 100 years!

      Did you know food companies hire lobbyists to push against printing scientific health information on food labels to red flag an ingredient like sugar that could be harmful to your health?! Food companies also know transparency makes it easier to identify what’s in our food. Even though by law they must list ingredients, they can still craftily use misleading language and terms and miniscule print on the outside packaging. The goal of food companies is to meet minimum FDA standards while still enticing you to buy their product.

      Food companies care about sales not your scales! Profit not your health.

      Following are some tips to help you make wise choices. You want to be a discerning shopper who spends money on food that’s actually nutritious and not potentially harmful to your body. Companies design packaging to be attractive and catch your attention to pick it up.

      Before it goes into your basket, take a minute to carefully checkout the front and back labels. I once had someone say you should never need to read a label. I replied, “You should never buy a food item that you haven’t read the label!”

      Front of Package Deception

      1. Don’t be fooled by marketing subjective terms like “healthy,” “all natural,” “fat free,” “wholesome,” “sugar-free,” “no sugar added,” “light,” “low-calorie,” “fruit-flavored,” “keto-certified,” “low-carb or zero carb,”  “whole grains” or “multigrain.”

      In the United States, some of these claims do involve standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which I’ll indicate. However, others have very little or no guidance surrounding their use or misuse.

      • “Natural foods” “all natural foods” “wholesome” are widely used in food labeling and marketing with a variety of vague definitions. The implication is they’re minimally processed foods that don’t contain manufactured ingredients, but the lack of standards in most jurisdictions makes the terms meaningless.
      • “No sugar added” or “sugar-free” doesn’t mean the ingredients don’t contain sugar, just that there’s no extra sugar added. 
      • “Light” has no specific regulated guidelines. “Low-calorie” has to have 40 or less calories than the regular food item.
      • “Fruit-flavored” doesn’t indicate real fruit, but an added fruity chemical. The FDA doesn’t specify how much “real fruit” must be in a product to tout “made with real fruit.”
      • Packaging can say “whole grains” or multi-grain” even if the product is primarily made with refined grains ground into flour. Check the ingredients on the back label.

      I eat Keto and the most recent indiscriminate label on a product is “keto-certified” in an official looking emblem. An entrepreneurial third-party website charges companies for this “certification.” There are no legal or official keto or paleo certifiers! Other commonly used terms are “Keto-friendly” or “Paleo-approved,” but always read the label’s nutritional breakdown and ingredient list for verification.

      “Low-carb or zero carb” has no FDA guidelines, so it can indiscriminately appear on any label. Keto eaters deduct fiber from natural carbs, but some products like “zero-carb” tortillas have added high fiber ingredients such as cellulose or wheat starch. That’s the deductible fiber, but other ingredients still have carbs! An example of “natural deductible fiber” would be fiber in fresh asparagus.

      2. Don’t trust “organic” unless there’s a legally certified insignia on the package. The term “organic” has an established legal definition in many countries, including the United States, as well as an agreed upon international standard. “All natural” and “organic” are NOT interchangeable terms. In some countries, “all natural” is defined and enforced. In others, such as the United States, it has no meaning!

      If the package states “organic ingredients,” read the label to be sure all ingredients are organic. All “organic” foods aren’t necessarily good for you—organic sugar is still sugar. Just because it’s organic doesn’t give it a free pass. It still has “wasted calories” with no nutritional value.

      3. “Gluten-free” products must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten per the FDA to be on the label, so some producers of “gluten-free products” cannot by law use the term because they don’t meet the standard. However, even marshmallow packages now say “gluten-free,” but that doesn’t mean you should be eating marshmallows!

      4. “Cholesterol-free” can still contain ingredients with cholesterol. “Zero trans-fat” can contain up to 0.5 grams per serving.

      Always turn the package over and read the back information!

      Package Back Label Information

      Never buy a food item without reading the back label! Ignore the claims on the front of the package. The back is where by law they must give you the nutritional breakdown of the food item.

      1. The nutritional breakdown of calories, fat, carbohydrates, sodium etc. is by serving size. Often it’s ½ cup. Who only eats a half cup of ice cream or cereal? If you eat 2 cups, you need to multiply the nutritional breakdown, including calories, by four! On crackers and chips the serving size is a number i.e. 10 chips. If you eat twenty chips, double all the nutritional facts listed.

      2. Listed ingredients go from highest content to lowest. If water is the first ingredient, the product is mostly water. For example, a lemon drink that promotes “made with lemon” may list lemon juice as the last ingredient and water as the first ingredient. It’s water with a little lemon or it could even be lemon flavoring.

      3. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, Google it on your phone. You don’t want to put an unknown into your body…do you? Chances are it’s a preservative to avoid.

      4. “Added sugar” is listed in the nutrition facts and in the ingredients list. Even if it’s organic or raw . . . sugar, honey, or maple syrup is still sugar with calories. Natural occurring ingredient sugar is in the nutrition facts portion of the label.

      5. Avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup. Especially check children’s snacks. I sent my husband on a mission of finding barbeque sauce without high fructose corn syrup. He read every label on the grocery store shelf. There was only one brand without it.

      6. Check the sodium level and remember it’s per the label’s serving size.

      7. Avoid saturated fat & trans fats and all “vegetable oil,” usually followed with a list of oils in parenthesis so they don’t commit to any specific oil. Vegetable oils are highly refined and unstable from exposure to chemicals in the refining process that strips them of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They’re stored in body fat, which may lead to inflammation. Examples of bad vegetable oils are corn oil, canola or rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil.

      You’ll find vegetable oil or vegetable shortening in fried foods, packaged baked goods, salty snacks, salad dressings, even coffee creamers (use half-and-half).

      The best overall oil to use is Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Also, avocado oil and refined coconut oil.

      Here’s an example of deceptive marketing. The front of the Blue Diamond Gourmet Almonds package reads “Almonds with garlic, herb, & olive oil.” It even has a “certified NON GMO” emblem. That all sounds awesome! But the ingredients listed on the back are: “Almonds, vegetable oil (almond, canola, safflower and/or sunflower) sea salt, roasted garlic, spices (oregano, basil, rosemary) and the very LAST ingredient, extra-virgin olive oil! What a disappointment!

      When buying nuts, the ingredients should only be the nut and maybe sea salt if they’re salted nuts. Nothing else! If other oils are listed, unless it’s olive oil, return the package to the shelf.

      8. Look for added soy, which could be in the form of soybean oil or soy lecithin. No one needs the amount of soy added to our food. Today, most labels indicate if there’s soy.

      9. Choose wild fish caught naturally, not farmed raised in tanks.

      Buy Fresh, Be Healthy

      When possible, buy fresh and avoid packaged, processed foods, then you don’t have to worry about labels unless you’re looking for organic. Then look for the legal certified organic emblem. Beware at farmer’s market. They may claim not to use pesticides, but you’re only taking their word for it. Whatever you’re buying, always check the dates for freshness.

      It may take longer to shop at first, but soon you’ll know which foods to avoid. You may think buying organic is more expensive, but with all the products you aren’t buying, you’ll actually reduce your food bill and increase your health.

      Comparing Two Labels

      Can you tell which one I would recommend?

      “Prego Roasted Garlic & Herb” even boasts on the back label “Gluten-Free.” Ingredients: Tomato puree (water tomato paste), Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Sugar, Dried Onions, contains less than 1 % of salt (but there’s still 470 mg sodium per ½ cup serving), Canola Oil, Diced Roasted Garlic, Spices, Citric Acid, Dried Garlic, Basil, Natural Flavoring. (Hmm what’s natural flavoring?)

      “Rao’s Homemade All Natural, Premium Marinara” Ingredients: Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Onions, Salt, Garlic, Basil, Black Pepper, Oregano. (Their ingredients live up to “all natural” real food, but I doubt they made it at home LOL)

      Happy shopping!

      PS I may miss a few Mondays in August and September as we wind down summer, so don’t worry I’ll be back.

      Please leave your comments here.

      August 4, 2025
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      The Truth About Processed Foods and Health Risks

      8

      I’m going to deviate from my usual topics to talk about something this week that’s been a passion of mine long before the Trump Administration adopted the Make America Healthy Again platform by appointing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

      Recently, I was in Costco wearing my Make America Healthy Again hat when an employee and I kept passing each other in the aisles. He eventually approached me and said, “I’ve been thinking about your hat. When was America ever healthy?” He was in his thirties and I thought to myself he probably grew up eating fast food and processed foods so prevalent today. I responded, “I think when my grandmother made everything from scratch.” He nodded and agreed.

      Then it hit me that I’m now a grandmother. Like many women today, I’ve worked all my adult life with little time for making homemade bread, spaghetti sauce, yummy bakery products, or raising chickens like my grandmother who stayed home and raised seven children. However, since my first career was as a Registered Dietitian, I’ve always tried to avoid processed foods, eat fresh organic, and read labels.

      Processed and ready-made foods started becoming popular in the 1960’s when more moms went to work and were trying to get dinner on the table quickly for the family after a long workday. The FDA began approving many additives and preservatives that didn’t have any history of being tested for safety. Today, most of them are still being used with many more added and at the same time there’s been a dramatic increase in childhood obesity and diabetes, breast cancer even in young women, colon cancer, infertility, and chronic diseases in children and adults. Could it be that we’ve been a human experiment?

      Processed foods are more convenient and less expensive than fresh, but at what price to our bodies that God designed to consume real whole food?! By definition, processed food has been altered from its natural state. Processed foods have been treated with additive chemicals to enhance color, flavor, and increase shelf life. They’re moneymakers for manufacturers who aren’t always willing to monitor themselves while their lobbyists have more control than scientists and doctors over what’s considered healthy for consumption by the FDA.

      Until Now!

      Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is putting a spotlight on what Americans eat! He says, “Food is medicine and we’re poisoning ourselves and our children with ultra-processed foods. Studies show increased anxiety and depression related to food, not to mention obesity. By changing your diet, you can lose some of those diagnoses. People should be able to make their own informed choices.”

      Eating healthy shouldn’t be political. There are no Democrat or Republican children.

      WebMD Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Whyte, echoes the Secretary of HHS, “Food really is medicine,” he said. “It’s as powerful as a prescription drug. It impacts every system of your body . . . There’s so much food that we consume that’s processed and, even more concerning, ultra-processed . . . I’m concerned about how long some of these foods last. What’s in them that’s allowing them to stay in your pantry for a couple of years?””

      You might pay a little bit more for clean food, but it’s a better choice than spending less for something that could cause expensive health issues later and might actually be poison!

      America has 10,000 inflammation causing food additives that are illegal in other countries. Think about that! McDonald’s French fries in Europe have three ingredients; in the US they have 17 ingredients! That’s crazy!

      Additives to Avoid!

      • Food Dyes

      Red Dye No. 3, approved for use in foods since 1907, was banned from use in topical drugs and cosmetics in 1990 when the FDA determined that the dye causes cancer when eaten by animals. But it continued to be allowed in foods, supplements, and oral drugs until now, 35 years later!

      Finally, it’s being exposed as potentially harmful and food manufacturers must remove this dye by January 2027 and from ingested drugs by January 2028. Some states are also banning Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2 and Green Dye. Hopefully, this will soon be nationwide, but you don’t need to wait until then. STOP buying foods with dyes NOW.

      These dyes are commonly found in breakfast cereals, soft drinks, dairy products, candy, jellies, packaged pudding, Jell-O, even condiments and canned foods. I actually saw red dye added to meat, and I’m sure you’ve seen salmon with the sticker “color added.” It’s safe to assume that these dyes are on the ingredient lists for thousands of products.

      Manufacturers use these dyes made out of crude oil because they’re cheap. Yet, they make some of the same products healthier for other countries, which ban dyes. For example, Fruit Loops are colored with carrot and beet juice in other countries, but Fruit Loops in America use six colored dyes and are currently at the top of the previous administration’s FDA’s food pyramid. There’s no fruit in Fruit Loops! That’s deceptive advertising, but there is about 12 grams of sugar in every serving. Food dyes are also tied to ADHD, cancer, learning disorders, and neurological issues.

      • Seed Oils

      This is another area highlighted as damaging that sounds healthy, but they’re not. Recent research links seed oils to cellular changes in our bodies. A 2023 study found that people who consumed high amounts of seed oils, highly used in processed foods, showed a 23% increase in inflammatory markers compared to cooking fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. Avoid these seed oils due to their industrial processing methods and unbalanced fatty acid profiles: canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, vegetable oil.

      • Emulsifiers

      Emulsifiers are food additives used to improve texture and extend shelf life. Researchers analyzed data from 92,000 adults over 7 years and found that certain emulsifiers significantly increased cancer risk. Mono & diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) found in processed and baked goods, margarine, and ice cream were linked to:

      15% higher risk of overall cancer

      24% higher risk of breast cancer

      46% higher risk of prostate cancer

      Other dangerous food additives added to enhance addicting flavor and texture are sodium nitrate, sodium phosphate, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, caramel color, trans fats, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, BHA, evaporated cane juice, modified food starch, guar gum, and carrageenan.

      I want to talk about carrageenan specifically because I’m a 3x breast cancer survivor and recently diagnosed with microscopic colitis. Carrageenan (E407 & E407a) is used as a thickening agent in dairy alternatives and also found in deli meats and plant-based products. It’s linked to 32% higher risk of breast cancer and also linked to colitis and inflammation. I don’t eat those food products, but then I started doing more research and discovered that carrageenan is in many foods that you would never expect. For example: dairy whipping cream, canned whipping cream, cottage cheese, protein drinks, yogurt, Costco rotisserie chicken, packaged pulled pork, peanut butter, and so much more!

      I was shocked, especially with the Costco chicken until I discovered that carrageenan gives chicken an appealing appearance making it look fuller, plumper, and more succulent…just like those chickens you grab from Costco and take home for a quick dinner.

      When I started looking closely at the ingredient label from most cottage cheese brands, this long list of italicized additives is typical: Cultured nonfat milk, milk, whey, salt, cornstarch, mono and diglycerides, carrageenan, locust bean gum, guar gum, phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, cream, natural and artificial flavor. Compare those sixteen ingredients with “Daisy” brand’s three ingredients: Cultured skim milk, cream, salt. That’s all that should be in cottage cheese! Remember that they list ingredients in order from the highest to the least content.

      While I was at Walmart buying cottage cheese, an elderly woman came up to buy a carton. As she picked up one of the brands, I asked if I could show her the difference in the ingredients. When she saw only three ingredients in Daisy brand compared to a long list in others, she said, “I can pay a dollar more for a healthier brand. Thank you for showing me this.”

      Avoid processed, boxed, quick, just add water products, pre-packaged, and precooked meals. Shop at local farmer’s markets, do frozen if you can’t do fresh, but fresh is best. Be your own chef. Cook your own meals so you know what you’re eating. There’s no comparison between homemade like my grandmother used to make and prepackaged, but we’ve become accustomed to settling for less.

      It does take a little longer shopping to read all the ingredients, especially when they intentionally make the print small. If there’s more than 5 ingredients, or an additive or ingredient you can’t pronounce, you probably shouldn’t buy that product anyway. The manufacturers are hoping you won’t bother to notice and just pick up the cheapest one.

       But once you’ve determined a healthy brand of foods you typically buy, you’ll be able to quickly select that one and avoid all the others. As the little lady at Walmart so wisely said, spending a little extra for a healthier food to save your health in the end is a bargain.

      Food is the fuel that keeps your body running. Just like you wouldn’t put the wrong gas or oil into your car engine that you want to last a few years, be wise about the fuel you put into your own body that you hope will last you for ninety or one hundred years!

      Mark Hyman, MD says, “Cancer is complex and multifactorial, but one thing is certain: the food we eat plays a massive role in shaping our long-term health. Cutting out ultra-processed foods and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods is one of the most powerful steps you can take to reduce disease risk.”

      The Five Disappoints!

      Occasionally, I watch The Five on FOX TV while I’m doing something in the kitchen. They were discussing Coca-Cola coming out with a new product replacing manufactured high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with real sugar, as it already does in countries like Mexico and the UK. High Fructose corn syrup is made from cornstarch, not sugar and in the 1970’s it started being used because it’s cheaper and has a longer shelf life.

      Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made phasing out HFCS a key part of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, once calling it “poison” and criticizing it for fueling the nation’s obesity and diabetes crises. Research also shows HFCS may be more likely to promote fat buildup in the liver and contribute to insulin resistance because it contains a higher ratio of fructose to glucose than can sugar.

      I’m not promoting drinking Coke nor eating sugar. I don’t have either in my house. But The Five panel was making light of this change by Coca-Cola as not being significant. Then they defended Fruit Loops saying Americans like what they’re used to even if it’s not healthy for you?! They also discounted Governors trying to get real food into children’s school lunches saying kids really only like snack foods and soft drinks.

      I was shocked as I listened to them even ridicule the attempts of RFK Jr. to help Americans, especially our children, be introduced to foods that will make them healthier and not sicker. Then I thought back to why I gave up my career as a Registered Dietitian. It was such a thankless profession because just like The Five said, people like their sugar and foods they’ve become accustomed to, even if it’s killing them!

      Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. Is. 55:2-4 The Message

      If you enjoyed this article, I’ll share more in an upcoming blog about Reading Labels.

      Please leave your comments here.

      Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

      July 28, 2025
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      God is Always Watching: The Importance of Integrity

      6

      When I was a little girl, I can still hear my mother cautioning me to do the right thing even when she wasn’t around because, “God is always watching!”

      When I speak and write on mentoring I often say that the people parents mentor the most, even if it’s not intentional, are their children. Are you the woman today you want your daughter to become? Are you the man you want your son to become? Do you have the marriage you want your children to have? Because even when you’re not thinking about it, little eyes are watching how you act, what you say, how generous you are.

      As Christians, does your walk match your talk? Are you the same person during the week as you are on Sunday morning at church?

      A big responsibility you say. Yes, being a parent is the biggest responsibility you’ll ever have in life, unless you’re also a Christian and then how you represent Christ will top all other responsibilities while influencing everything you do.

      This past week, we’ve seen a number of breaches of integrity being revealed, some literally in the dark and some out in the open.

      Let’s start first with Chip and Joanna Gaines who built a financial empire with their “Fixer Upper” program. Their Magnolia merchandise is carried predominately at Target, as well as in their own stores. They’ve presented themselves as a wholesome family with Christian values and many adored them, even in my own family. Then recently they branched out into a new Magnolia Network series “Back To The Frontier” and all the Christian beliefs they portrayed in the past went out the window when they decided to attract a broader woke “progressive” audience. Just like every other program that has embraced the alphabet mafia, they included two “married” gay men who had adopted two boys.

      When their shocked Christian audience and supporters called them out on deviating from biblical values, they doubled down right out of the liberal LGBTQ+ playbook calling Bible-believing Christians hateful and unloving. But what they were really saying is the Bible is hateful and unloving because the Bible has plenty to say about marriage (Gen. 2:24, Mark 10:6-9) and sexual sin (Lev. 18:22, Lev. 20:13, Rom. 26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Jude 1:7). So they weren’t just disparaging Christians, they were blaspheming God’s Word.

      In Forsaken God? Remembering The Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I wrote about what can happen when the church succumbs to the world normalizing sin. There is no such thing as a “progressive” Christian or church because that actually describes a progressive fall away from God. “Woke” is simply the current word used for worldly and wicked.

      Here’s a short excerpt from my book.
      “God’s ways never change no matter the century—his ways are timeless and perfect and designed for our good, not our harm. Regardless of how the populace or government tries to redefine or politicize morality, immorality always is detestable to God, as it should be to every Bible-believing Christian, and that’s what we must share with the next generation. When they ask why is sexual immorality worse than other sins? We answer them: Because it violates God’s holy temple—our body—created in his image, which is why he tells us to, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Cor. 6:18-20). We need to have these kinds of conversations straight from Scripture with our children and grandchildren.

      Satan is hijacking high-profile liberal pastors and several mainline denominations who expound that: the Bible isn’t inerrant or relevant, God is a myth, Jesus is a legend, and the church needs to catch up with the culture. Essentially, they’re atheists trying to mask themselves as “progressive Christians,” as if they’ve discovered the true, open-minded Christianity that doesn’t need the Bible. Wolves in sheep’s clothing—straight out of Titus 1:15-16. Culture never trumps Scripture. Even if you’ve been a member for years of one of these denominations or churches that now succumbs to this unbiblical, satanical teaching—run—leave immediately, and take your family with you.

      The ‘liberals’ defiantly ignore Jesus’ warning that Christians are in the world, but not of the world. And Jesus didn’t come to conform to the culture; he came to reform the culture.”

      I don’t know what made the Gaines conform to the culture and normalize sin. Was it all the money they made from Target who supported the alphabet merchandise right next to theirs and the Gaines never spoke out against it? Was it the desire to make more money at the expense of losing their biggest base, Christians? Read more here.

      You can agree or disagree with this statement, but when we watch high-profile pastors, ministers, worship leaders, influencers who claim to be Christians fall prey to Satan’s worldly cultural agenda, you have to question if they were ever truly saved? Did they ever have a born-again experience? Because if they did, the Holy Spirit would be residing in their heart telling them not to go the way of the world. When the powers of darkness takeover a mind, it will spin it to whatever political or cultural narrative they desire.

      And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Eph. 4:30 NLT

      “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

       “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?” Gal. 1:10

      See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Heb. 12:16

      “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15

      God knows. God is ALWAYS watching!

      Next, we see the apparent adulterous couple caught on a Kiss-Cam Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert where they thought they could hide their discretions amongst thousands of people. But there they were exposed on the big screen hugging not just for the concert people to see, but as they tried to hide, one of the performers laughingly said they were either camera shy or having an affair. These were two high profile people at a company and the married man who was a CEO has already resigned and embarrassed his company.

      “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:2-3

      “Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; they say, ‘Who sees us?’ and, ‘Who knows us?’” Is. 29:15

      God Knows. God is ALWAYS watching!

      Then we see the exposure of a former president and his administration manufacturing a hoax against his successor that they thought would never be revealed. They didn’t hide their trail very well. Everything the Obama administration was treasonously doing, they tried to convince the American public that Trump was doing. They must’ve been so sure they could take him down even after he was elected, that they got sloppy as all the memos and emails of this “treasonous conspiracy” are being revealed now.  

      They failed twice. First with Trump being elected in 2016 and he probably also won in 2020, but their trickery worked that year. Hard as they tried to scheme and use lawfare to keep him out of the White House again, he won with a landslide lead in 2024, even after narrow escapes from assassination attempts.

      How could they not know the man they had so wrongly persecuted for the past ten years would eventually find them out? He is now much wiser to how low the dark deep state will go to try to maintain/regain power. But the American people are also wiser.

      I just saw a meme: “Trump and Russia were the only ones NOT involved in the Russia Russia Russia hoax!” We laugh, but it’s diabolically sad that the media also propagated the lies that so many believed.

      “For nothing concealed will not be disclosed, nor hidden that will not be known.” Luke 8:17

      “Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.” Matt. 10:26

      God knows. God is ALWAYS watching!

      What Can We Learn From All of These Revelations?

      I want to share with you what Devin Schubert wrote on Facebook regarding the Kiss Cam event, but it applies to everything we do as Christians as Schubert aptly concludes. I couldn’t say it any better.

      “The kiss cam exposed more than a couple.

      • It exposed a truth we forget far too often:
      • Influence doesn’t turn off.
      • Not when you leave the office.
      • Not when the lights go down.
      • Not even when you think no one’s watching.
      • At a Coldplay concert this week, a CEO and his HR director got caught on camera.
      • Not at work.
      • Not on stage.
      • Just… in the crowd.
      • But that one moment of closeness?
      • Broadcasted to a stadium.
      • Then to the internet.
      • Then to the world.
      • Within hours, people had names, LinkedIn titles, marriage records, screenshots, apologies—real and fake.
      • Comments got shut down.
      • Accounts went private.
      • And the truth came crashing in:
      • What you do in secret eventually shows up in public.
      • What you build behind closed doors will always echo… good or bad.
      • Someone is always watching.
      • And someone is always learning from you.
      • So here’s what I want to say to every leader, coach, speaker, parent, entrepreneur, pastor, builder of anything:
      • Make sure your influence is worth following.
      • ✅Not just impressive—but integral.
      • ✅Not just polished—but pure.
      • ✅Not just inspiring—but honest.
      • Because you don’t lose influence overnight.
      • You lose it in quiet compromises.
      • And you gain it the same way.
      • One decision at a time.
      • One “no one’s watching” moment at a time.
      • Let this moment remind us:
      • You can influence with courage, or you can influence with compromise.
      • You can build for applause, or you can build for the Kingdom.
      • But only one lasts.
      • God sees what the cameras miss.
      • He rewards what man forgets.
      • And yes… grace is real, please don’t forget!
      • But so are consequences.
      • So lead well.
      • Live worthy.
      • Influence like it matters… because it always does.
      • We are people of legacy.
      • People of integrity.
      • And people of the Kingdom.
      • Let’s carry that with honor.” Devin Schubert

      Integrity and character are who you are when you think no one is watching!

      God knows. God is ALWAYS watching!

      The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. Pr. 15:3

      You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your countenance. Ps. 90:8

      For Self-Reflection

      I saw the following posted on a friend’s Facebook page and thought it was so appropriate for all of us. We don’t know who the original author is . . .

      “The other day I was hanging out with a friend. This friend is a Christian, but she doesn’t always act, speak or think like one. Some days she is nearly completely in line with God’s Word, and some days her life is a struggle that gets the best of her.

      As our eyes met, I really wanted to say something about it but I decided to let the Lord speak to her heart knowing nothing that I say will have the same impact as the Father’s words.

      So…. I prayed with her, and after some time had passed I winked at her and walked away from the mirror.

      I try every day and I fail every day. I am so not perfect, I am a work in progress and I’m thankful for God’s grace and His promises to His believers.”

      God Knows. God is ALWAYS watching!

      “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Pr. 28:13

      Please leave a comment here!

      July 21, 2025
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