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Why Is Eating “REAL” Food Controversial?

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I thought I would write this week’s Monday Morning Blog on a lighter less controversial topic than usual and put on my dietitian’s hat to discuss the new Eat Real Food Pyramid released by the Trump Administration in January 2026. I was thrilled to see this pyramid after Biden’s Food Pyramid with sugary color-dyed Fruit Loops, grains and cereals recommended as “eat most.”

Who would’ve thought that the new improved inverted Food Pyramid featuring “real food” would be politically controversial? I should’ve known since it was designed and introduced by President Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Liberal media negatively criticized it is as “the most significant shift in federal nutrition policy in decades.” As if our sick and overweight country didn’t need a nutritional improvement shift!

Below is a picture of the Old Food Pyramid. You can compare it with the New Real Food Pyramid which completely inverts the old one.

Old Food Pyramid

At the “eat most” base of the old Food Pyramid was grains and cereals.

Next level “eat more” was fruits and vegetables encouraging more of a plant-based diet.

As the pyramid ascended to a smaller section at the top was protein foods like meat, eggs, and dairy recommended to “eat moderately.”

The pyramid peaked with “eat less” fats, oil, salts, and sweets.

I do agree with eating less sweets, but the new 2026 nutritional Food Pyramid doesn’t even include sweets and does completely flip and reverse the old pyramid. The media did have that right that it’s a complete “shift” but it’s a good shift to eating healthier.

Nutrition Should Not Be Political!

Since Trump Derangement Syndrome is the mental illness pandemic of the decade, the Trump Administration’s nutritional battle cry to eat healthy “real” food set off a firestorm of criticism and controversy. Because even if the cure for cancer is discovered by someone on President Trump’s team during his presidency, we all know the mainstream media and liberal left would be outraged and call the cure a travesty and probably even racist.

I wrote in a previous blog that I was let go from writing a Nutrition Nook column in the Idaho Christian Living Magazine because I used a single quote about the dangers of additives from RFK Jr, our national HHS Secretary. That one quote was “too political.”

There shouldn’t be anything political about our food. Every administration should want American citizens to be healthy and yet America is one of the sickest countries in the world even though we’re the wealthiest. Unfortunately, much of our nutrition has become politicized.

Here’s examples of some ways the new Food Pyramid was described by the biased politically liberal media.

MSM—

–“The US has unveiled a controversial new food pyramid that’s causing a stir among nutrition experts.”

–“The Trump administration’s new guidelines differ in many ways from previous versions. Most striking is the moralizing language about ‘real food’ and a stark shift of responsibility onto individuals, with all consideration of health equity stripped away.”

Encouraging people to eat real food is “moralizing language”?  Does the media think we should be eating fake food?

Expecting individuals to take their own responsibility for eating healthy is a shockingly “stark shift”? Is personal healthy eating supposed to be the government’s responsibility?

 “…all consideration of health equity?” What is “health equity”? It definitely sounds woke to me!

USA Today—

“New Food Pyramid was heavily influenced by a new set of handpicked experts who worked in secret.”

It seems reasonable the Trump administration would pick “experts” and based on all the negative press when they released the new pyramid, why would they want to let anyone know what they were doing until they were ready to release it. Kind of like the Trump administration never tells the press what they’re doing militarily because they would for sure leak it to the enemy!

The food industry often cares more about profit than producing healthy nutritious food. They have lobbyists in Congress to make sure their bottom line isn’t negatively affected by any legislation.

Except for farmer’s markets, we’re far removed from when farmers and ranchers brought their products straight to the local stores and there wasn’t industrial bureaucratic middlemen. Many hands touch our food today before we receive it and it comes from all over the world. My husband can tell if his organic bananas come from Mexico by their taste which he doesn’t like. 

What Is Real Food?

Hubby and I like watching Lara Trump’s “My View” Saturday night program. A few weekends ago, I was so excited to see her interview the “Food Babe” about the new “Eat Real Food Pyramid.” Being a dietitian myself, I was thrilled to see the emphasis on eating real food, including whole milk for kids with its natural fat-soluble vitamins, fresh vegetables and fruit, meat and fish with a picture of my favorite food salmon.

When the interview was over, to my surprise my husband asked me if I understood everything they were talking about. I said absolutely, and I’ve been trying to get everyone to eat real food for years. Shop on the outside aisles of the store where the fresh fruits, vegetable, meat, and dairy are located and avoid the inside store aisle shelves bulging with processed packaged food with detrimental additives and preservatives you can’t even pronounce.

I always say if you don’t recognize something on the food label, it’s not real food. Don’t buy it and for sure don’t eat it.

Hubby still kept looking questioningly at me so I said, “It’s the way we eat and I shop!”

Then he asked the question some of you might be asking too, which seems so simple to me but maybe not to someone who doesn’t have a passion for nutrition. He asked, “What’s real food?!”

I was startled, but you might be asking the same thing. You mean everything in the grocery store isn’t real food? Yes, that’s exactly what I mean and that’s what the new Food Pyramid is depicting. Real food is fresh or frozen food in its natural state. Nothing altered. Nothing processed. No preservatives, pesticides, or additives. Food just as it’s grown, picked, or butchered.

For example, real butter, not chemical margarine or whipped mock butter substitutes. Real cheese, not spreads or processed with additives and little to no real milk cheese. Real Olive oil or Avocado oil, not manufactured seed oils. Fresh or frozen whole real vegetables and fruit. Whole cow or goats milk, not alternate or pretend chemical milk from nuts, oats, or soy. Real sourdough or whole grain bread that doesn’t have so many preservatives and additives it lasts on your shelf for weeks.

On July 28, 2025, I wrote a detailed blog The Truth About Processed Foods and Health Risks to help readers determine the difference between real and manufactured processed foods.

August 4, 2025, I followed up the above blog with Decoding Food Labels: What you Need to Know.

Both of the above articles will help you apply the new Real Food Pyramid to feeding your family and yourself with real nutritious food to keep you and your family healthy. I was excited to hear RFK Jr. is next going to require the food industry to put ingredient labels on the front of packages instead of just the deceptive wording and marketing designed to entice you to buy without reading the back label.

What Does the Bible Say About Eating Real Nutritious Food?

Could it be that even though the media was attacking the new Food Pyramid for using “moral” language, that’s exactly what it is? Even biblical.
 
In a Bible Study Tools article by Emma Danzey, What Does the Bible Say about Food and Eating? she writes: “When we talk about addictions and perspectives, many times what comes to mind is alcohol, drugs, or shopping. However, one of the most common struggles, especially in the Western world is unhealthy views of food. God’s Word has answers for everything . . . Food is one of the best gifts that God has given to us. It fuels our bodies, brings people together around a table, nourishes us, and gives us happiness.”

 1 Corinthians 10:25-26 says, “Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’” People need the health benefits that come from meat and high protein foods. Our fallen bodies don’t operate as well as Adam and Eve in the garden.

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. Is. 55:2

Please leave a comment here.

Click here for an excellent presentation on the New Real Food Pyramid.

February 2, 2026
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Saving Women’s Rights and Sports!

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I’m reading Charlie Kirk’s last book published posthumously, Stop in the Name of God. The first chapter is titled Genesis 1:1 with the opening Scripture, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” You might think that’s elementary since most Christians know this verse, or should, but Charlie devoted the opening of his book to reaffirming this fact. Sometimes, even Christians need to go back to the basics of the creation story, including how God in Genesis chapter 2 created a man and a woman as unique and separate individuals.
 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Gen. 2:7

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. Gen. 2:20-22

Since the beginning of time, the physical distinctiveness of male and female has been an established biological, scientific, and biblical fact established at conception and revealed at birth until science invented ultrasound to determine sex in the womb during pregnancy and gender reveals became the rage.

When I was pregnant, the ultimate surprise was in the delivery room when the doctor announced to a panting exhausted new mother that she had just given birth to a boy or girl. That might seem archaic to some now, but other moms will remember with me how we waited with great anticipation to learn the sex of our new baby. While anticipating the birth of our baby, we decorated with neutral colors and enjoyed the birth gifts when friends and family learned whether we needed pink or blue baby clothes.

I’ll admit though that ultrasounds have been used to save many babies lives as the expectant mother sees her baby is a real little person developing in her tummy with fingers, toes, arms, legs, eyes, ears, a nose, and mouth. So even though God’s sex reveal at birth is outdated now, the redeeming value is more babies born. Praise God!

However, sci-fi wasn’t satisfied with knowing pre-birth sex, they started trying to play God by altering the foundations of humanity. First psychologically. Then ideologically. Ultimately physiologically. The medical community who take the Hippocratic Oath to preserve life decided they could dabble in genetics and try to distort and transform men into women and women into men, while originating a new term “trans.”

But no amount of chemicals, drugs, hormones, surgeries, or brainwashing will ever alter or transform a person’s DNA, chromosomes, muscle, body and bone structure that God created for every individual within their mother’s womb. The heretical, immoral, unethical, evil people in the scientific, psychological, and medical field making trillions of dollars with patients for life will never replace God, but God will judge them.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Ps. 139:13-14

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matt. 18:6

Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. Pr. 14:22

The vocal rainbow coalition activists combined with the abuse of modern medicine to create, deceive, and foster genetic confusion and bodily castration and mutilation with the fallacy that just wanting to identify as a different sex is achievable. It’s not! Unethical psychologists and physicians saw this as the cash cow that it is and political lobbyists for the homosexual community created a cult where schoolteachers were forced to use the language of a world gone mad.

The downfall into denouncing God and the Bible started with the legalization of same-sex marriage under the Obama Administration. It’s become diabolically degenerating since then with rampant pedophilia, child sex trafficking, men in women’s bathrooms, spas, dressing rooms, locker rooms, private areas, and sports. Even conjuring up terms like “furries” “trans” and “cis-woman.” The confirmation of Supreme Court justices like Ketanji Brown Jackson who can’t define a woman, even though she is a woman herself is insanity! [The Bizarre World of Ketanji Brown Jackson by Everett Piper]

Or recently, when Senator Josh Hawley asked OB-GYN Dr. Nisha Verma, a woman, for a simple yes or no if men could get pregnant, she wouldn’t answer! More insanity!

Coming off Obama’s disastrous years, coaches and school administrators fearing cancel-culture refused to protect girls and keep men out of women’s sports. Parents were often rebuffed if they complained, even when their daughters were forced to room with men on travels. The girls who were brave enough to protest were shamed, silenced, and told they had to acquiesce to men playing on women’s teams if they wanted to play sports. But one by one, especially after swimmer Riley Gaines lost her trophy to a man who she tied because the political optics were better for him to be in first place, girls started speaking out.

The liberal left and Democrats have made this a political issue and tried to cancel or fire anyone who wouldn’t go along with trying to eliminate God from His creation by allowing men to be publically recognized and treated as women. There’s no such thing as a “transgender woman or man.” God only creates men and women!

Currently a Democrat man is masquerading as a woman in Congress and in Idaho one is running for governor! Sadly, even some churches decided to become more culturally and “socially” correct than biblically correct, which would require eliminating most of the Bible starting with Genesis 1:1.

Saving Women’s Rights and Sports

Title IX was passed in 1972 to insure equal opportunities for women in sports. But over the last decade, men have invaded women’s sports as fake gender ideology has seared consciences and culture. Title IX was passed because men and women are different. The Biden Administration tried to alter Title IX’s definition of sex to include gender identity but it didn’t pass. Still most blue states deny women their Title IX rights.

Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 Tim. 4:2

Idaho and West Virginia established laws protecting women in sports in their states. The Supreme Court heard two cases last week involving men suing to play in women’s sports in these two states. Girls had their day in court!  

I’m proud to say that Idaho, where we’ve lived for almost fifteen years, was the first state to take legal action to protect our girls in sports in March 2020 by passing House Bill 500 “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” implementing the nation’s first transgender policy barring trans female athletes from playing on women’s sports teams. West Virginia then passed a similar law. Alliance Defending Freedom’s (ADF) helped draft those bills, as did the Idaho Family Policy Center in Idaho.  

Male students “identifying as women” challenged the state’s laws and the ACLU represented them. Idaho and West Virginia appealed to the Supreme Court, which accepted both cases. SCOTUS usually doesn’t take on two similar cases, but because they each bring up different issues, one against the Constitution and one against Title IX, SCOTUS heard both in the same day.

Since President Trump signed an executive order specifically restricting federal funds to schools that allow males to compete on women’s teams under Title IX, 32 states have passed laws to protect women in sports. Despite the majority of states now banning men from women’s athletics, 18 states still allow males who claim transgender status to compete on women’s sports teams, posing a risk to the safety and fairness of female athletes. 

I encourage you to listen to this short interview Defending Biblical Truth in Women’s Sports, with ADF’s Kate Anderson and Fearless’ Cissie Graham Lynch, Franklin Graham’s daughter.

SCOTUS Showdown: ACLU lawyer stumped by basic biology

During the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the Idaho and West VA cases, Justice Alito asked ACLU a simple question: “What is a man? What is a woman?”

Their answer? “We don’t have a definition.”

Yes, you read that correctly. This was the definition debate heard around the world.

If the so-called guardians of “civil rights” can’t even define sex, how can they claim to defend it? This is the collapse of common sense, live in the highest court of the land.

It was hard to hear some of the judges like Amy Coney Barrett using non-terms like “trans women” and “cis women” instead of men and women. I’m sure she would call herself a woman, not a cis woman! Men pretending to be women are not “trans” or “women.” They’re mentally disturbed men, have a fetish, or can’t excel in men’s sports so they want to eviscerate women. Whatever their reasons, it’s wrong and not normal, legal, moral, or biblical!

Testosterone levels do NOT determine, define, or erase biological sex, bone and muscle structure, strength, or DNA, which is what the opposing side was trying to argue to SCOTUS. Listening to the side who can’t define a man or a woman was pathetic. Women are more than hormone levels!

It was also disappointing to have so much time given to the “feelings” and “fairness” of men being excluded from women’s sports. Identifying as a woman does NOT make a man a woman. There should’ve been more discussion given to the feelings and fairness to women who lose scholarships, scholastic and career opportunities, trophies, medals, not to mention being exposed to lewd voyeur men who still have all their male parts in locker rooms, showers, and private areas. In what world is that fair or safe for women?!

Let me mention also that even though Governor of California Newsom has admitted in interviews with both Charlie Kirk and Ben Schapiro that men in women’s sports isn’t fair and he can see the other side, I’ve read his excuse for allowing men in women’s sports in his state is because he has a “trans godson.” Just because our child, grandchild, or godchild chooses an alternate lifestyle doesn’t make it okay to inflict it on others. Enabling a confused child instead of engaging mental help for them does more harm than good.   

In last week’s blog, Respect and Appreciate the Men and Women Who Keep Us Safe by Enforcing the Law, I introduced you to Janet Elaine Parks. I hope some of you started following her on social media. Here are some of her remarks last week about SCOTUS hearing the women’s rights cases.

Protecting Women’s Rights (Because Women’s Spaces Should Stay Female)

This is one that the left loves to weaponize… But conservatives are not “anti-anyone” for saying a basic truth:

Men are men. Women are women.

And women deserve:

  • private spaces
  • fair competition
  • basic safety protections

This administration supports keeping biological men out of women’s sports, bathrooms, locker rooms, and private spaces.

  • That isn’t hateful.
  • That’s reality.
  • And pretending biology doesn’t exist doesn’t make society “inclusive”…
  • It makes women pay the price.

Women fought for decades to earn:

✅fair sports opportunities

✅safe boundaries

✅sex-based protections

And now the left is trying to erase those protections by calling women “bigots” for wanting what we already had: A protected category called WOMEN.

Bodies Play Sports, Not Identities

In the opening picture of this blog, former champion gymnast Jennifer Sey, a seven-time member of the United States women’s national artistic gymnastics team and the 1986 U.S. All-Around National Champion founder of the XX-XY Athletics brand, is sounding the alarm arguing women’s sports are for women and warning that “identity affirmation” is replacing fairness and safety. I encourage you to read more of her comments here.  http://dlvr.it/TQP5Py

I want to thank Idaho for defending women not just in our state, but going all the way to the Supreme Court to protect women in every state for our daughters and granddaughters in the future.

Pray SCOTUS stands by biological women’s rights, protection, dignity, and recognition that mentally challenged men cannot challenge women in sports or erase womanhood. Pray for wisdom and discernment as the justices deliberate. The cases before SCOTUS last week are not just about isolated incidents in two states. The justices’ decision will shape how our girls are able to do what they love—and feel safe doing so—for generations to come.

This is not a political issue. It’s a Genesis issue and comes down to the biblical definition of God creating us male and female. Together let’s stand fearlessly for what’s right. Let’s pray the Supreme Court determines that girls are girls and boys can’t become girls in Idaho, West Virginia, or any state in America!!!

An article to read. We Were College Athletes Supreme Court Must Listen to Our Case and Save Women’s Sports written by two female college athletes from Idaho, Madison Kenyon and Marky Kate Marshall, defendants in the Idaho case heard by SCOTUS last week. Here’s their opening and I encourage you to read the rest of the article from girls who have experienced the heartbreak of having men in women’s sports and taking over 890 medals from female athletes.
 “Imagine if the U.S. Supreme Court was asked to rule on whether the law of gravity still applies, even in these early years of the 21st century. After all, some people are uncomfortable with their size. They feel sluggish and weighed down by that pull from the Earth. Why shouldn’t they just be able to ignore gravity and float along as easily as they please? Why should any law of nature be allowed to constrain how light and thin someone feels inside? If that sounds ridiculous to you, imagine how female athletes have felt in recent years, having to compete against males just because they’ve been told that feeling like a woman can make them so.” 

Please leave a comment here.

January 19, 2026
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Can I Have a Word with You in 2026!

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Here we are with the first Monday Morning Blog of 2026!

There’s something special about the beginning of a New Year. Some say it seems like January is the longest month of the year, but for me, I cling to every new day of January because the rest of the year flies by so fast. January represents a new fresh start. Many people even set new goals or resolutions like going to the gym, eating healthier, walking more, losing weight, going back to school, or fill in the blank.

A common goal for many Christians is to read the Bible in a year and to select a word to focus on for the year. God’s Word and a personal word. I do both and that’s what I’d like to challenge you with as we kick off this New Year.

Words Matter

Whether written or spoken, words are how we communicate. God created us that way and breathed His Words into His chosen writers to provide us with the timeless inerrant Word of God, the Bible, to communicate with us and guide our life (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Fourteen times in the Bible, the Lord cautions us, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

We should also choose wisely the words we speak, hear, and read. Words can communicate good or evil. They motivate or manipulate. Depict or deceive. Convey truth or lies. Facts or opinions. Help or hurt. Encourage or intimidate. Cheer or criticize.

Here are some examples of how Satan has used words in our current culture for evil.

  • Killing a baby in the womb is “reproductive healthcare.”
  • Drugging and mutilating children’s sexual body parts is “gender-affirming care.”
  • Defining marriage as only between a woman and a man is “homophobic.”
  • Same-sex sexual relationships are “gay.”
  • Pretending to be the opposite sex is “trans.”
  • Men playing in women’s sports is “inclusive.”
  • Hiring on basis of skin color and gender is “DEI.”
  • Merit is “racist.”
  • Masculinity is “toxic.”
  • Godless evil is “woke.”
  • Incoherent deception is a “word salad.” An example of a deceptive “word salad” was used during the inauguration speech of the new Communist Muslim mayor in New York City, Zohran Mamdani—“We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” Anyone calling this out for what it really means—replacing American entrepreneurial freedom of democracy with socialistic dictatorial communism like in Venezuela—is labeled “Islamophobic.”
  • Christians crowning themselves as God’s chosen people is “Replacement Theology.”
  • The Christian church succumbing to secular culture is “Progressive Christianity.”

I’m sure you could add many more to this list, but often Christians today are afraid to speak truth to lies because they fear the condemnation from man more than from God.

God’s Word Is the Bread of Life

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

In discussing John 6:35, our pastor gave the example of only opening your Bible on Sunday and maybe Wednesday night prayer meeting is like only eating a big meal on Sunday and maybe a snack on Wednesday, but no food the rest of the week. Our bodies would physically starve. Likewise, spiritual starvation occurs when we only partake of the Bread of Life, the Word of God, once or twice a week.

It’s hopeful to see many churches and pastors, like our pastor, encouraging their congregations to read the Bible daily in a year, especially this year. Why do I say especially this year? Because the world is getting darker and darker as we approach the return of Jesus, and it’s vital we understand what the Bible says about it.

We’re actually fortunate to live during the birth pangs of the end times. It won’t be scary or intimidating to believers if we have a firm faith foundation and understand God’s plan clearly explained and outlined in the Bible. Something you can’t fully appreciate by just reading a random Scripture. It’s important to see how the Old Testament is the foreshadowing of the New Testament and how all the puzzle pieces fall together in context as you reach Revelation.

The Bible explains and foretells everything we’re encountering in the world today. There’s no reason to fear or worry when you know your role in history and how God wants you to live under all circumstances and in all seasons.

I’ve read the Bible in a year numerous times and I’ve enjoyed reading different translations each year. Many of you have also read the Bible annually, but others might’ve only gotten as far as Lamentations or maybe even Isaiah and then put it aside as life happened. I want to encourage you to read it all the way through this year. We’re only five days in and you can catch up. It is doable. Here are some tips that have helped me.

  1. Have a designated time and place where you read your Bible daily and leave your Bible open in that spot.
  2. Even if you get behind, don’t lose heart. Catch up on the weekends, but keep going. It will get easier.
  3. Use a reading plan. I like YouVersion and CBN, but there are others and maybe your church is suggesting one. Our church handed out a plan for the year reading from the Old Testament and New Testament each day. Others like to include a Psalm or Proverb daily. Just pick one and get started.
  4. For the past two years, I’ve listened to the Bible using the CBN yearly plan. I asked for earbuds for my birthday and listen when I’m walking, at the gym, or doing household chores.

It’s popular today to listen to Podcasts and I’m suggesting you listen to Godcast instead! In biblical times, church and temple leaders read the Scriptures from a scroll to the people. People didn’t have personal scrolls like we have personal Bibles today. The Scriptures were passed down by word of mouth and memorization.

If you’re a highlighter or note taker, listening might not be as agreeable to you, but I think you’ll find it’s definitely doable to listen to the Bible in a year. I was out for a walk on December 31, 2025 when I shouted “Hallelujah” as I listened to the last words of Revelation 22 foretelling the return of Jesus.

  • Take the Read-the-Bible-in-a-year challenge with a group or a prayer partner so you can encourage and keep each other accountable.
  • Don’t spend a lot of time figuring out what to do. Just pick up your Bible and start at Genesis 1:1 and keep reading. God will bless your efforts and time in His Word!

Here’s a portion of a testimony from Janet Marie Watson, an Idaho Facebook friend. She posted this on January 1, 2026, encouraging her friends to read the Bible in a year. Shared with permission.

“Hi everyone. I hope you’re having a good start to 2026. I had to get on social media and say please remember to read your Bible. I have seen it change my heart and it changes my thoughts. Yesterday, I read the last portion of the 365 day Bible reading program I had last year. There is a thing we call discipline but I’m not sure this is as much a discipline as it is a determination. It doesn’t take long with daily portions. I read the whole Bible again. I have such a greater breadth to what I understand about God’s purpose and His larger picture. God has offered this to us as a personal gift.

If I got a personal letter from a great leader, I’d be reading it. I am reminded of 1 John 3:1. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” . . .

So find a program that gives you manageable portions to read each day. This year, I’m going back to one I’ve used before. It’s got a portion from the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms, and the Proverbs for each day. I hope this prevents me from reading the plagues of Revelation the last few days of December. But if not, I’ll be ok. And like I said, it has changed me. The Epistles tell me how to conduct myself. How to temper my heart. And after about 13 yrs of reading the Bible through each year, there are portions that jump into my consciousness when I am tempted to be things I should not be.

What’s Your Word for 2026?

Starting in 2018, I began praying for God to give me a word for the year. A word that would glorify Him and transform me into the woman He wanted me to be. A word to guide my personal interactions, my writing, my thinking, and my spiritual growth. Not an easy word or one I was already good at, but one that would challenge me and cause me to delve deeper into my heart and soul seeking God’s help to live out.

For example, I’ve never been a patient person so one year I chose the word “grace.” I wanted to be more grace-filled and less self-filled. A friend gave me a cross necklace with the word “grace” on it. I wore that necklace daily. Grace was such a difficult word for me that I actually kept it for two-years, but I haven’t mastered it yet. I still wear the necklace.

As I was praying about my 2026 word, I read James 1:3-4 NLT in the closing days of my 2025 devotional. “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

That word “endurance” struck a chord in my heart. My husband Dave had three major surgeries within a year. I became his patient advocate, caregiver, and maintainer of our home. There were times I didn’t think I had the energy or stamina to keep going, but God and love help you do what you think you can’t do. My endurance was tested, but God and love kept me going. I want endurance to come easier in 2026. While I almost chose “love” as my word, I realized that love fuels endurance so love will grow as I seek to endure well.

How about you?

 Do you choose a word for the year and a Scripture to go along with it?

Are you going to read or listen to the entire Bible this year?

What worldly words are you going to stop using or stop letting influence your thinking and emotions?

I’d love to hear your answers. Just hit reply and share.

PS: January 2025, I shared that I was praying every morning with Pastor Jack Hibbs’ 5:00 AM PT Lift Scripture Prayer time. He recorded daily on Facebook Live, YouTube, and several other places so you could listen anytime and leave prayer requests while praying for others. I only missed a couple mornings all year.

Pastor Hibbs felt the Lord leading him to do this for only one year, but one of the daily prayer partners who he called “Mr. Faithful,” James Choy, is carrying on the Morning Prayer time for 2026. You can find him @ 5AMBondservant on Facebook and Instagram if you would like to join us praying every morning. You’ll be blessed for sure.

Please leave a comment here.

January 5, 2026
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Legal Immigration Is a Wonderful Thing. Illegal Immigration Is Not!

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In late November 2025, the Wesleyan Church wrote a Position Statement on Immigration, which reflects their attempt to twist Scripture to justify 20 million illegal, unlawful, unauthorized, undocumented, noncitizen aliens invading America.

Like the mainstream media, liberal left, and socialist Marxists, the Wesleyans only used the word “immigrant” instead of differentiating between vetted legal immigrants who are welcomed into our country when they come in the right way, versus those who break our laws to breach our borders illegally. You or I couldn’t just walk into another country and demand shelter, food, healthcare, education for our children, jobs, while abusing the country’s constitution or laws against its legal citizens.

My husband and I traveled abroad at the end of the summer, and we had to show our ID passport to get on the plane, when we got off the plane, and every leg of the trip. Our luggage had to go through customs going into a foreign country and also upon returning to our home country. While we were in other countries, we had to abide by their laws and culture.

Dr. Everett Piper, American writer, retired university administrator, and conservative commentator, author of the national best seller, Not a Day Care: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth and a columnist for The Washington Times, wrote a response challenging the Wesleyan Church’s Immigration Position Statement and I completely agree with him.

Too many churches, pastors, and Christians today are either misinterpreting Scripture or taking it out of context attempting to guilt Americans into tolerating foreigners who have broken the law by entering our country illegally. Many have criminal nefarious evil motives.

Dr. Piper’s opinion is interesting and relevant since he served as President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University from August 2002 until his retirement in May 2019. He was named President Emeritus of Oklahoma Wesleyan in 2020 and was elected County Commissioner of Osage County Oklahoma in 2022.

Here is what Dr. Everett Piper wrote in response to the Wesleyan Church Position Statement on Immigration:

“I personally think this statement from Wesleyan HQ is a not-so-thinly-disguised homage to some of our leaders’ decades old infatuation with neo-Marxism rather than simple Biblical truth. And they frankly don’t even try to hide it.

For example, the language of this official statement is laden with references to “systemic” this and that; as well as the use of the word “equitable” rather than equal. These phrases and concepts are straight out of the Frankfurt School handbook and reflect the writings of Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse more than they do traditional Christian beliefs regarding individual responsibility and conservative morals.

Biblical believers should be very wary of this for it is all a very close cousin to 1960s liberation theology whose goal has always been much more about “social justice” than personal salvation. All such models inevitably lead to division rather than unity, blame rather than personal confession, and the worship of government more than God.

Moreover, this statement repeatedly ignores the fact that the Bible never excuses illegal immigration or expects any country/nation to tolerate it.

It consistently conflates the immigrant who honors the law with those who don’t. In fact the document seemingly draws no distinction between the two and scolds those of us who do see the difference.

And it completely ignores the elderly, the poor, the widows, the children and the women who are being victimized even now as we speak by a tsunami of illegal vagrancy now sweeping across our nation.

What about them?

What about the working class older folks in Springfield OH, LA, South Chicago, Denver Colorado or in Minneapolis or St Paul who can’t even leave their front yard, walk to the local grocery store, or take their grandkids to the community park because their entire neighborhood is now overrun by a literal army of illegals?

What about children who are being trafficked and abused by the tens of thousands?

What about the young women who live in fear of being harassed if not outright raped?

What about the older retired couple who still live in the 1,000 square foot house they bought in what was a nice neighborhood in the 1950s that is now overrun by tent encampments, drugs, violence and crime?

What about all these people – these millions of law abiding blue color American citizens – who have had to sacrifice their safety, their home equity, their neighborhoods, their schools, their streets, and their entire way of life on the altar of virtue-signaling progressive Christians who live in their upscale suburban communities, sleeping soundly at night behind their locked front doors and who drink their five dollar lattes while smugly writing papers like this scolding everyone else to do better?

The bottom line is there is nothing in the Bible that tells a nation to ignore lawlessness and criminality at the expense of its own people. Read the book of Nehemiah my goodness. The entire thing revolves around building a wall for a reason.

Legal immigration is a wonderful thing. Illegal immigration is not. And ignoring the difference is cultural suicide.”

What Does the Bible Say about Violating a Nation’s Borders and Transgressing Its Immigration Laws?

*Romans 13:1–7 makes it clear that God expects us to obey the laws of the government. The only exception is when a law forces us to disobey a command of God (Acts 5:29). Illegal immigration breaks a government’s law. There is nothing in Scripture that contradicts the idea of a sovereign nation having immigration laws. Therefore, it is rebellion against God to unlawfully enter another country. Illegal immigration is a sin.

It is not biblical to violate a law to achieve a “good.” Caring for the poor, orphans, and widows is something the Bible commands us to do (Galatians 2:10; James 1:27; 2:2–15); however, that biblical mandate does not excuse lawbreaking. Supporting, enabling, or encouraging illegal immigration is a violation of God’s Word. Those seeking to immigrate to another country should always obey the immigration laws of that country. Yes, dealing with red tape may cause delays and frustrations, but it is better than acting illegally. A frustrating law is still a law.

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:13–16).

*From What Does the Bible Say About Illegal Immigration?

5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. Nehemiah 4:5-6

Many falsely try to label Jesus and His earthly parents as immigrants. Contrarily, Jesus’ birth took place when His mother Mary and earthly father Joseph travelled at a very inconvenient time to legally follow the government’s law.

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. Luke 2:1-6

I hope this blog clears up any confusion between legal law-abiding immigration and those who broke our laws, including the Biden Administration who willfully broke United States immigration laws to allow a travesty of 20 million illegals to cross our open borders. Horrifically, many victims of illegal immigration have paid a horrible price for this atrocity, some even with their life.  Praise God, President Trump closed our borders within weeks of coming into office, but now we must deal with locating and removing millions of illegals from our country while DHS also searches for the 300,000 unaccompanied children Biden and Harris lost!

But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matt. 18:6

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December 8, 2025
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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.

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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.

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November 3, 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.

Please leave a comment here.

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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      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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