Tag Archives: god

by | September 18, 2025 · 8:29 am

Bits & Bytes

DAILY PRAYER: Dear Lord, Make us truly worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

ABC: A WICS-ABC20 News anchor in Springfield, Illinois, was suspended by her network for honoring Charlie Kirk, whom she knew personally, on air.

On September 15, she posted on X, “Many in the mainstream media have been fired or punished for mocking his assassination. I believe I am the first to be targeted for honoring him on air.” She announced she was resigning, saying, “My resignation is guided by values that are essential to who I am, which I refuse to set aside in order to keep a job. I choose my faith and love of country, and always will.”

CHARLIE KIRK: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/1098585992329093 to hear him tell a college student what he dislikes about socialism.

DEFAMATION: On Sept. 15, President Donald Trump filed a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, its reporters, and Penguin Random House. The lawsuit says, “Defendants maliciously published the book and the articles knowing that these publications were filled with repugnant distortions and fabrications about President Trump.”

EDUCATION: The U.S. Department of Education has stopped awarding grants to colleges based on the share of minority students they enroll, saying it is unconstitutional to use taxpayer dollars to promote “racial or ethnic quotas” at those schools.

GEORGE ZINN: The guy who tried to distract authorities in the minutes after Charlie Kirk was shot has had four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor added to his rap sheet. Authorities found kiddie porn on his phone.

ILHAN OMAR: These are just some of the many passages in the Qu’ran teaching the exact opposite.

  1. Quran (2:216) – “Fighting is prescribed for you.
  2. Quran (4:76) – “Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taghut (Satan, etc.). So fight you against the friends of Shaitan (Satan).
  3. Quran (4:89) – “Seize them and slay them wherever ye find them.”
  4. Quran (4:101) – “Disbelievers are ever unto you open enemies.”
  5. Quran (4:104) – “And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy.”
  6. Quran (5:33) – “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger … should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned.”
  7. Quran (8:12) – “Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.”
  8. Quran (8:39) – “And fight with them until there is no more fitna (disorder, unbelief) and religion is all for Allah.”
  9. Quran (9:5) – “Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.”
  10. Quran (9:14) – “Fight against them.”
  11. Quran (9:123) – “O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you.
  12. Quran (33:60-62) – “Accursed, wherever found, they shall be seized and killed.
  13. Quran (48:29) – “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard (ruthless) against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves.”
  14. Quran (2:191-193) – “And kill them wherever you find them.”

LIFE: CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MUD6amv1xGA to hear Charlie Kirk lay out the best possible argument.

NICK FREITAS: CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kPlwokQ31wQ to see his commentary on a woman’s snarky video that didn’t age well … cuz she was, is, and will continue to be so very wrong.

TYLER ROBINSON: On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Tyler James Robinson with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and violent offense committed in the presence of a child. The judge ordered him held without bond.

VAXXXINE: [16 :19] – Researchers tested 32 vials representing 16 unique mRNA “vaccine” lots and found hundreds of billions of DNA molecules per dose. The excessive amounts ranged from 32 times to 627 times the guidelines set by the FDA and WHO. Cumulative dosing presents significant and unquantified risks to human health.

  • “Quantification of residual plasmid DNA and SV40 promoter-enhancer sequences in Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna modRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Ontario, Canada” by David J Speicher, Jessica Rose, Kevin McKernan. Autoimmunity. 2025 Dec;58(1):2551517. Epub 2025 Sep 6. Accessed 9/17/25 @ 9:11 am @ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40913499/.

VIOLENCE: [8:21] – CLICK https://x.com/FabricatorShawn/status/1966815752138142140 [2:14] to see a mashup of Democrats inciting violence.

CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/24711098788501759 [1:37] to hear Sen. Eric Schmitt list all the left-wing crimes. “Don’t give me any of that ‘both side’ bullshit!”

CLICK https://x.com/Geiger_Capital/status/1966696304186138854 [1:47] to hear Stephen Miller go off on the domestic terrorism movement that Charlie’s murder has lit up in neon.

PRAYER for OUR NATION: Lord, Enlighten the minds of voters. Grant us leaders that believe in You and are committed to working for the good of our nation. Amen.

GRAMMY NOTES: I turned 71 on May 7, 2025! LOL

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vUKKYQzRSpU to hear about the official Guardians of the Hermitage Museum. I visited the Hermitage; I wish the guide had told us about the cats! ❤

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by | September 16, 2025 · 7:49 am

Bits & Bytes

DAILY PRAYER: Come, Holy Spirit! Fill our hearts with the fire of Your love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

ASSASSINATION: FBI Director Kash Patel has announced the DNA on the towel wrapped around the murder weapon matches that of the suspect they have in custody. They are also looking at his social circle, since several trannie accounts appear to have had foreknowledge of the shooting.

CHARLIE KIRK: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/4097671537157323 to hear him talk honestly with a trannie who is thinking about detransitioning. There is no hate here.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=940795421597067

CHRISTIANITY: [42:10] – I started reading Jonathan Kahn’s new book, Avatar, and learned some eye popping stuff that isn’t at all surprising. For example, I had NO idea the modern Olympics are filled with pagan worship! Learning this explains a lot about why the last few opening ceremonies have been so aggressively offensive to Christians!

The ancient Olympic games were banned when Christianity became the legal and approved religion of the Roman Empire, because they were a giant worship event honoring pagan gods, who we know are demons that are still alive. For example, during the ancient Olympics, athletes and priests made elaborate blood tributes to their gods, including the sacrifice of a hundred oxen at the Great Altar of Zeus.

The Olympic flame was an element of the ancient games that was revived with the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the one organized by the Nazis who were deeply immersed in pagan worship. Then, as now, the flame started at the sacred which flame continuously burns in the sanctuary of Hestia, the goddess of sacrificial fire, in Olympia, Greece.

CLICK https://x.com/VigilantFox/status/1966719436825428099 to hear an astonishing claim from Ben Shapiro.

FBI: The FBI has arrested Adeeb Nasir (58) and Adil Justice Ahmed Nasir (31) for placing a bomb under a FOX 13 News vehicle in Salt Lake City. Officials say the device was lit, but failed to detonate.

Anti-Trump signs (including the one in the graphic above) were found outside of where the suspects were said to be living. The two men face multiple charges, including threat of terrorism, possession of weapons of mass destruction, and possession of explosive devices.

LIFE: [12:50] – Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, wrote and preached extensively about the value of eugenics. Adolf Hitler and a host of his followers admired her and adopted her satanic ideals.

MEMORIALS: Evil is real, and Charlie Kirk’s murder has exposed a lot of it. Sickos are not stopping at posting vile remarks on social media. Some of them are vandalizing memorials and threatening people at vigils. CLICK https://notthebee.com/article/leftists-set-fire-to-charlie-kirk-memorial-smash-car-windows for more, if you’ve got the stomach for it.

MYTHBUSTER: On September 1, 2022, then-President Joe Biden delivered a speech entitled “The Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation.” The video is above; the transcript is linked below. It is sometimes called his “Nazi Speech” because of the stage dressing and caustic lines he spoke. E.g., “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” And, “MAGA Republicans have made their choice. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies.”

The photo of him scowling, with his fists raised, is often seen. I watched the whole speech to find what he was actually saying at that point. It turns out the gesture wasn’t even remotely Hitler-esque. His facial expression means nothing, because he scowled through the entire speech. And he was not raising his fists and shaking them in anger. He merely pointed with his thumbs, very briefly, at Independence Hall behind him while saying, “American democracy only works only if we choose to respect the rule of law and the institutions that were set up in [gesture] this chamber behind me.”

OH CANADA: Parents at Corvette Junior Public School in Toronto were shocked last week when they learned that their 10- and 11-year-old children were shown the graphic video of the assassination of Charlie Kirk in their French immersion class. The “teacher” reportedly praised the assassin, compared Kirk to Nazis and said he deserved his fate. Said “teacher” has been placed on administrative leave and the Toronto District School Board said it is prioritizing student well-being while the situation is reviewed.

PANTS ON FIRE: While watching the video of Biden’s “The Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation” speech, I noticed he touched his mouth once and only once, which was when he was saying, “And they see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power [touches mouth ] after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections.” A gesture like this is often associated with lying.

PRAYER for OUR NATION: Lord, awaken Your Church in America to be a light in the darkness. May we stand boldly for truth. Amen.

STUDENT FILM: [5:50] – “Student Accomplice” was made by 30 students from Brigham Young University’s Center for Animation. At the Rookie Awards 2024, it won Film of the Year and People’s Choice and was a finalist for Rookie of the Year.

TRANS: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/1094422895742337 for a brief but important message.

VANCE: Yesterday, VP Vance hosted Charlie’s podcast from the White House.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/24273142415647988 and marvel.

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by | September 12, 2025 · 2:11 pm

There will be a reckoning

On September 10, Nick Freitas posted the following to X.

“I am told that as a state representative this is the moment where I’m supposed to express my heartfelt condolences and then stand in solidarity with those on the other side of the aisle as we condemn political violence and stand unified as one people.

“But we aren’t ‘one people’ are we?

“The truth is we haven’t been for some time now, and there is really no point in pretending anymore, if there ever was.

“We are two very different peoples. We may occupy the same piece of geography, but that is where the similarities seem to abruptly end.

“I convinced myself for a long time that whenever the left called me a racist, a bigot, a sexist, a fascist, a ‘threat to democracy’ for even the most innocent of disagreements, that it was simply hyperbolic rhetoric done for effect.

“And now the ‘effect’ is a widow and two orphaned children, because the left couldn’t bear the thought of a peaceful man debating them and winning.

“I don’t think they realize it yet, but murdering Charlie is going to be remembered as the day where we finally woke up to what this fight really is.

“It’s not a civil dispute among fellow countrymen. It’s a war between diametrically opposed worldviews which cannot peacefully coexist with one another. One side will win, and one side will lose.

“Charlie tried to win that fight through argumentation, through discussion, through peaceful resolution of differences.

“And the other side murdered him.

“Not because he was ‘extreme’ or ‘inciting violence’ or any other hyperbolic slur they hurled at him. They murdered him because he was effective. Because he was unafraid. Because he inspired others and made them feel like they had a voice, that they were not alone. And he did it at the very institutions which have fomented so much hatred toward conservatives.

“I don’t want to ‘stand in solidarity’ with the other side of the aisle. I want to defeat you. I want to defeat the godless ideology that kills babies in the womb, sterilizes confused children, turns our cities into cesspools of degeneracy and lawlessness … and that murdered Charlie Kirk.

“Social media is aflame right now with leftist celebration of Charlie’s death.

“I wonder if any among them understand what has just happened. If there is a Yamamoto somewhere in their midst warning, that all they have done is awoken a sleeping giant.

“I doubt it. I think they gave up such introspection and self-awareness long ago.

“I don’t know exactly what will happen next. I just know that it won’t be the same as what has happened in the past.

“There will be thoughts and prayers … Charlie would have wanted prayers. Not for himself but for those left behind and for the country that he loved.

“But then there will be a reckoning.

“My Christian faith requires me to love my enemies and pray for those who curse me. It does not require me to stand idly by in the midst of savagery and barbarism … quite the opposite. So every time I feel tired, every time I feel discouraged or overwhelmed, I am going to watch the video of a good man being murdered in Utah … I will force myself to watch it … and then I will return to the work of destroying the evil ideology responsible for that and so much more.

“Rest with God Charlie, your fight is over.

“Ours is just beginning.”

Below, Nick reads his post and the response from the Speaker of the Virginia House, then responds.

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by | September 5, 2025 · 7:28 am

Today’s Meditation from Christian Art

By Father Patrick van der Vorst

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:33-38

“At that time: The Pharisees and scribes said to him, ‘The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.’ He also told them a parable: ‘No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.'”

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, better known to the world as Mother Teresa. Born in 1910 in Skopje (present-day North Macedonia), she entered the Loreto Sisters in Ireland as a young woman and soon moved to India, where she taught at a girls’ school in Calcutta. In 1946, during a train journey, she experienced what she later described as a “call within a call”: the deep conviction that Jesus was asking her to leave the security of her convent and dedicate herself to serving the poorest of the poor. With nothing but a simple white sari and a heart full of faith, she began walking the streets of Calcutta, tending to the sick, abandoned, and dying.

In time, others joined her, and the Missionaries of Charity were founded, growing into a worldwide order dedicated to serving the poor, sick and vulnerable. Mother Teresa became a global symbol of compassion, not because of great speeches or grand buildings, but because of her radical closeness to those whom society had cast aside. She tended wounds, lifted dying bodies off the streets, and reminded the forgotten that they were beloved children of God. For her, each suffering person was “Jesus in a distressing disguise” as she referred to. Her life was a living testimony that holiness is not found in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things with extraordinary love to ordinary people.

The Gospel for today speaks of the “new wine” of Jesus’ teaching that cannot be contained by old wineskins. Mother Teresa’s vocation was just such a new wine. She left behind the old wineskin of convent life and poured herself completely into the new mission God gave her. Her witness reminds us that the Gospel is always fresh, always challenging, always pushing us beyond comfort and convention. Like the new wine, God’s call can burst open our old patterns, leading us into unexpected places where His love is most needed.

Our watercolour by American artist John Alan Warford is beautiful in its simplicity: a tender, intimate scene of Mother Teresa gently tending to the wounds of a sick person.

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by | July 29, 2025 · 5:20 am

Bits & Bytes

DAILY PRAYER: Dear Lord, Please grant us the graces we need to trust that You always answer our prayers in the best way possible. It’s easy for us to rejoice when You say yes right away; we need Your help to rejoice when Your answer is not yet or not ever. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

BIBLE STUDY: This passage is offensive to modern ears. CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lWgOTPLdoOo to hear a preacher resolve the issue, by explaining its historical context.

BORDER: On June 26, 2025, the House voted 246 to 160 to pass a measure to mandate the deportation of undocumented immigrants convicted of or admitting to drunk driving and to prohibit their reentry into the United States. Only 37 Democrats voted yes; the 160 who voted no said the measure lacked evidence linking immigration status to drunk driving and did not address broader immigration issues. The bill still requires Senate approval and President Trump’s signature to become law.

S&G: An mtf trannie who slathered himself with estrogen cream may have seriously harmed his toddler daughter by having daily, skin-to-skin contact with her. When he realized she was entering puberty … at age THREE … he switched to an estrogen patch. Nobody knows what long-term damage the kid may have suffered, because her daddy thinks he is her mommy.

TRUMP: On July 26, 2025, President Trump posted the following to Truth Social – “I’m looking at the large amount of money owed by the Democrats, after the Presidential Election, and the fact that they admit to paying, probably illegally, Eleven Million Dollars to singer Beyoncé for an ENDORSEMENT (she never sang, not one note, and left the stage to a booing and angry audience!), Three Million Dollars for “expenses,” to Oprah, Six Hundred Thousand Dollars to very low rated TV “anchor,” Al Sharpton (a total lightweight!), and others to be named for doing, absolutely NOTHING! These ridiculous fees were incorrectly stated in the books and records. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO SO. Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out! Kamala, and all of those that received Endorsement money, BROKE THE LAW. They should all be prosecuted! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

GRAMMY NOTES: Our theory is that the pyramid is actually a 3D shape, like a three legged stool. One leg is the husband, one is the wife, and the third is the marriage. The needs and wants of each must be kept in balance with God sitting on the stool. Most of the time, my Dearest and I have been able to concede or compromise, but on a few occasions, we just couldn’t. For these times, we chose a neutral third party we trusted to hear our two sides and cast a vote on behalf of the marriage. We agreed ahead of time to graciously accept the outcome. It saved us a world of trouble. Our 46th anniversary is in less than 3 months.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ioebpSReFM0 for a giggle.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DRyez-rldVc for more giggles.

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by | April 14, 2025 · 3:20 am

This Holy Week

“This Holy Week, Melania and I join in prayer with Christians celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ — the living Son of God who conquered death, freed us from sin, and unlocked the gates of Heaven for all of humanity.

“Beginning with Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminating in the Paschal Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, followed by Good Friday, and reaching its pinnacle in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night. This week is a time of reflection for Christians to memorialize Jesus’ crucifixion—and to prepare their hearts, minds, and souls for His miraculous Resurrection from the dead.

“During this sacred week, we acknowledge that the glory of Easter Sunday cannot come without the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross. In His final hours on Earth, Christ willingly endured excruciating pain, torture, and execution on the cross out of a deep and abiding love for all His creation. Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins. Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness — signaling that death does not have the final word.

“This Holy Week, my Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government. We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square.

“As we focus on Christ’s redeeming sacrifice, we look to His love, humility, and obedience — even in life’s most difficult and uncertain moments. This week, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved Nation. We pray that America will remain a beacon of faith, hope, and freedom for the entire world, and we pray to achieve a future that reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom in Heaven.”

“May God bless you and your family during this special time of year and may He continue to bless the United States of America.”

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by | December 18, 2024 · 9:55 am

Bits & Bytes

DAILY PRAYER: Dear Lord, Cleanse me from the sin of envy and forgive me for failing to celebrate the successes and blessings of others. Transform my mind and heart that I may rejoice in the achievements of my peers and find joy in my own unique path. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

BORDER: Remember when Dems screamed that we couldn’t afford to spend $5 billion to build a wall on the southern border?

CAROL OF THE BELLS: Wow! This kid is 14. [2:56]

CHRISTIAN HISTORY: The silver scroll in the photo above was found in 2018 in the grave of a man who died between 230 and 270 AD. It was positioned under the man’s chin and experts think he once wore it on a cord around his neck. Because the wafer-thin silver foil is too brittle to unroll, researchers used computer tomography to see what was inscribed on it. The results surprised historians, who were unaware that Christianity had spread so far north at such an early date. Although amulets like this were usually written in Greek or Hebrew, this one was in Latin.

It says: “(In the name?) of Saint Titus. Holy, holy, holy! In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God! The Lord of the world resists with [strengths?] all attacks(?)/setbacks(?). The God(?) grants entry to well-being. May this means of salvation(?) protect the man who surrenders himself to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, since before Jesus Christ every knee bows: those in heaven, those on earth and those under the earth, and every tongue confesses (Jesus Christ).”

DOGE: The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools – $489,883,797 for race-based hiring, $343,337,286 for DEI programming, and $169,301,221 for DEI mental health initiatives.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a $850,000 federal grant to “Centerstone’s LGBTQI+ Family Support Program” to provide training for military families to “affirm the gender identity” of their children.

The Federal government spends 80% of its annual $100 billion IT budget on maintaining outdated systems. Not only are older systems more expensive to maintain, but they are also more vulnerable to hackers.

MADISON: In the wake of yet another school shooting, FAUXTUS tweeted a call for more gun control. Comments on his tweet included –

  1. “It is against the law to bring a gun into a school, it’s against the law for a teenager to have a gun and it’s against the law to shoot/kill people. So what magic law would make the difference that all the other laws didn’t?”
  2. “Man who accidentally left 300,000 guns for Taliban gives lecture on gun control”
  3. “Congress should defund Zelensky and fund armed school security.” REPLY: “An armed guard could be assigned to every public school in the USA in exchange for the 85,000 armed IRS agents Biden hired.”
  4. “Gun grabbers were silent after rich kid murdered healthcare CEO.”
  5. “I refuse to enter into a conversation about gun control with people who believe men can give birth.”

If you’re interested in the Madison shooting, CLICK https://notthebee.com/article/heres-all-we-know-about-the-madison-christian-school-shooter. I decided my soul can’t deal with any more after I read a little about her messed up parents and this bit of her manifesto: “Every single male must be wiped out, from babies to the elderly. Only then can women be free to create a new world. ill be a pioneer, ill be the first to take the first step. i dont care if theyr fathers, brothers, husbands, sons, teachers, police, and especially n*ggers or politicians. ive been craving to kill them all. This is my mission. only when their parasitic sludge has been expunged from this earth is when Then the world will be clean and women can start over. It’s the only way. in aproximately 10 mintue si should be dead, its strange but it feels good.”

TRANS: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/1730435947499567 to hear Chloe Cole liken so-called “gender affirmation health care” to pushing anorexic teens to get liposuction.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pIRXMhHoYQU for a new R*CKST*R.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Bpy16GjIV7g for another from Ariel Fitz.

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by | December 6, 2024 · 9:15 am

Bits & Bytes

DAILY PRAYER: Dear Lord, Bless us today with all the graces we need to make room for you in our busy holiday plans. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

ART THERAPY: Four randomized, controlled studies have shown that drawing, including coloring in a coloring book, lowers heart rate and decreases anxiety, making it an active form of meditation. One of my art teachers recommends the following to enhance the effect:

  1. Set the Stage: Create a relaxing environment by listening to music you love, lighting a candle, and keeping your favorite beverage close by. Take a moment to notice the sounds, tastes, smells, and physical sensations you experience as you settle in.
  2. Practice Deep Breathing: Before you begin, take 3-5 deep breaths to center yourself. This simple practice can help clear your mind and prepare you for focused creativity.
  3. Minimize Distractions: Silence your phone, close the door, turn off the TV, and let your family or coworkers know you’ll be unavailable for the next 15 minutes. This dedicated time for mindful art will allow you to fully engage in the creative process and also to give you a reset before you move on to the next part of your day. 

COMMUNITY: CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OOI5Ymx3TiE to see a really special person go above and beyond. We are blessed to have someone like this is our area as well. The night before last, I heard a dog barking and squealing behind our house. There’s nothing but a field, trees, a steep downgrade into a swamp behind our house and it was cold. I got really concerned that someone’s dog had run off and gotten trapped or tangled in the dense brush, so I called the SPCA animal welfare officer. He said nobody had reported a missing dog and explained that the noises I described are typical for coyotes. We have coyotes in our area? Yup. I did not know this! Good thing we never let our little 10 pound Daisey out on her own! Anyway, despite the fact that he was about 99% sure it was not a dog, this fine man came out anyway, spent a good bit of time tramping around in the back with a flash light, whistling and calling, before phoning me back and telling me he was confident there was no dog freezing to death. I thanked him profusely for his kindness and commitment to his job and he just said, “Hey, better safe than sorry.”

DEBUNKING: [6:30] – This is the best compilation of “Trump is not a racist” I’ve ever seen.

LIFE: One day, while Dr. Catherine Wheeler was performing an abortion, she says, “God stopped me in the middle of the abortion. At the time, I didn’t understand it. I started the abortion and almost immediately felt this complete presence of evil. It was a darkness—physically dark to me and evil dark. I realized nobody else was aware. I remember sitting there thinking, ‘This has to do with the abortion.’ suddenly had the complete awareness of what I had blocked off—this was a baby. I was about to kill a human being.”

Despite this profound realization, Dr. Wheeler had to finish the procedure to protect the woman’s health. But in her heart, she made a vow. “I didn’t tell anybody about it. I thought, ‘Nobody is going to understand this, but I know it’s evil, and I won’t do it again.’”

This moment became a turning point in Dr. Wheeler’s life and career, marking the start of her journey away from abortion to becoming a mouthpiece for the sanctity of life.

NOTRE DAME: ::sigh:: We have lots of modern churches. Why couldn’t they HONOR the historical reality of this magnificent building by recreating period vestments and furnishings?!

GRAMMY NOTES: Our church participates in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. Dearest picks the kids and I do the shopping. It was so fun this year to pick out pink and purple sneakers and art supplies for two little girls. The tag shopping always brings back good memories of the Christmas after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. At the time, Dearest was a young architect who had recently started his own practice. Within two weeks of the invasion, the bottom fell out of the building industry as investors canceled projects, including the one that would have fed and clothed us for at least six months.

We have never forgotten the joy of the Angel tree gifts and food baskets. One of the ladies from our church stood near Santa and wrote down what our 3 elementary aged girls asked for, then bought those things for them! The Kitchen Cupboard helped fill out the food stamps and WIC freebies, plus I could get free bread at the Salvation Army once a week when the delivery guy would drop off all the past date breads he picked up at the grocery stores. I still get weepy thinking about all the blessings we experienced that year. I also learned that food stamps won’t pay for TP, laundry detergent, or feminine hygiene protection. I have made a point of donating that stuff to the Kitchen Cupboard ever since.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8EK7l3pkIYs to see another traffic court heart warmer.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OcBeYWXwG-8 to see a brief interview with Judge Caprio.

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by | November 25, 2024 · 2:18 pm

The Vatican’s Anime Mascot

The pope has approved this anime-style mascot for the 2025 Year of Jubilee, hoping it will appeal to young people. The official word is that she is a little pilgrim named Luce. Pronounced loo chay, it means light in Italian and light from the east in Latin.

Luce is a pilgrim. From her muddy boots to her walking staff to her raincoat, she is dressed for life’s journey to Christ. The raincoat is yellow, the color of the Vatican’s flag.

Luce’s hair and eyes are blue, the color traditionally assigned to hope and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The gleam shining in her eyes is in the shape of the scallop shell, a symbol that has long been associated with Catholic pilgrimage, in particular the famous Camino Way in Spain.

Luce wears a World Mission rosary, which was created by Fulton Sheen. Wearing a rosary as a necklace is common in some places and frowned on in others, but it seems to be a practical choice for a pilgrim on the road.

The Jubilee 2025 logo is embroidered on the raincoat’s front in green, the liturgical color for the Ordinary seasons of the year, the time when we focus on growing in Christ. The Jubilee 2025 site says of the logo, “The anchor is well known as a symbol of hope. In maritime jargon the ‘anchor of hope’ refers to the reserve anchor used by vessels involved in emergency manoeuvres to stabilise the ship during storms. It is worth noting that the image illustrates the pilgrim’s journey not as an individual undertaking, but rather as something communal, marked by an increasing dynamism leading one ever closer to the cross. The cross in the logo is by no means static, but it is also dynamic. It bends down towards humanity, not leaving human beings alone, but stretching out to them to offer the certainty of its presence and the security of hope. At the bottom of the logo is the motto of the 2025 Jubilee Year.“

N.b., The colors on the official logo are not a nod to the “pride” flag, but rather denote the regions of the world as used on the World Mission rosary.

Aleteia reports, “Within days of her reveal, Luce became a prime source of inspiration for Catholic and anime artists alike, who created many beautiful tributes to Luce on art sites and social media.”

Personally, I like this variation better than the official one. Until I did the research for this article, I did not know about the pilgrim’s scallop shell, so found the shape of the sparkle in the official version’s eyes off putting. This one has Bethlehem stars!

The other reason I haven’t warmed up to the official Luce is that her forked “pilgrim staff” is much more commonly known as a stang, a forked staff used in various forms of occult rituals as a tool of power and respect. Various sites say it represents the World Tree, connecting the heavens and the earth and standing tall as a reminder of the witch’s place between worlds. It may be placed in the center of an altar or carried as a symbol of authority. It may be used to call on deities during rituals. One witch said she uses it to ground herself when she travels the celestial planes.

However, I did find one article that delved into a different source for the forked staff. It was published in 2018 after Pope Francis carried a stang staff with a nail through the forked branches. An article at Patheos says, “It was a gift to Pope Francis by a group of young people, who asked him to use it during the synod.”

Catholic bishops and popes each have a special staff known as a crosier, or shepherd’s crook. They carry during rituals to symbolize their roles as shepherds of God’s flock. Bishops’ crosiers can vary tremendously, but they generally have a crook at the top.

By contrast, the papal staff (known as a ferula, which is Latin for rod) has cross or crucifix on top. There is no set standard; the photo shows Pope Francis with two different ones.

I wasn’t the only one bothered by the pope’s synodal ferula’s resemblance to a witch‘s stang. However, a deacon did some research and found that, though rare, there are examples of forked crosses in our church’s history. The author says, “The three arms of the cross are meant to remind us of the Holy Trinity and the attributes of God: omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence.”

Another author writes, “This cross also resembles the Greek letter Upsilon which capitalized looks just like the English letter ‘Y’. The Greek Upsilon is often called Pythagoras’ letter as it is said he used it as a symbol to demonstrate human life where the two horns of the letter represent the two paths of vice and virtue. We all travel down a road in life, but it is not always the easy road and we come to a split into the road where we must choose where we will take our life. Will it be down the road of virtue or the one to ruin?” This explanation goes a long way toward making me more comfortable with Luce’s staff.

Some critics have also objected to the name Luce, suggesting it is short for Lucifer. Like luce, the Italian word for light, Lucifer, the name of the first and greatest angel God created, comes from the Latin for light. But Jesus called Himself “the light of the world.” Lucifer’s light only exists to the extent that God created it; plus, he only uses it for himself. Jesus’ light is not only self-existent, but also used to guide pilgrim’s to God. I guess I can get on board the Luce lovers’ pilgrim trail.

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