The Epstein files--what happened to the list of clients?

I'm not going to get in a froth about the Epstein files. When Trump stood up after being shot, he said fight, fight, fight. I don't know what that means to you, but I think he meant fight for the country. If Republicans allow the enemy to get them sidetracked, then they might as well quit now. He has his eye on preserving the United States, an idea or promise that over half the country can't even comprehend.

There are lots of strange things in politics. Some are still questioning all the theories about the deaths of JFK and RFK and MLKjr. I'm still questioning why both parties ignore the years 2020-24 and all we citizens suffered as victims of BOTH parties with the Covid epidemic. Trump gave us CARES ( Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act) a clearly inflationary "benefit" to save jobs and lives and he also pushed for the vaccine (untested and unproven still). He thought he was right to do so, to save the country. He also paraded Dr. Fauci before us on TV for many weeks to explain the ever changing research and rules. The Democrats who first maligned Trump for attempting to get a vaccine out quickly, then ignored their own lies, shut the country down and deified Fauci! Yet today, neither party will even speak like it was important (individuals yes, but not the party), nor will Pres. Trump, nor former Pres. Biden.

 
Democrats get the faints when discussing an "insurrection" that wasn't yet ignore what's going on in our blue cities and social media today with riots and deaths. Mysterious deaths occurred in Minnesota and Walz goes mute. The hypocrisy is so thick it is gagging intelligent people so they can't speak or don't know who to support.

 
I never thought I'd see anti-Semitism raging on our elite campuses either, and certainly not Jewish legislators and celebrities keeping quiet about it. I never thought I'd see Democrats running a professing Communist to manage our premier city.

 
I never thought in our sex saturated national culture people would tolerate the genital mutilation and body damaging medical experiments on children which would make Dr. Kinsey blush. We've sunk that low and I can find several such clinics right here in Columbus--so I should be alarmed about teenagers being lured to a life of excitement with celebrities? Compare that to what--sex trafficking with our open borders?

So yes, I should stop being surprised or asking for all the answers. There are no answers for evil, duplicity, envy, greed, hatred, obsessions, and mental illness.

Damaged brains caused by TDS

There are lots of hoaxes and fakes on the internet these days. I just saw one of those free automobile fake offers on Facebook by just clicking. But the climate hoaxes combined with TDS are really swarming with the Texas flood.

There are actually fewer weather crises these days than 100 years ago, but there is more commercial and home building in areas prone to flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes and fires so the death toll and costs are higher. We're actually in a cooling period.

Then add that misinformation to their Trump hatred and they've decided that warning systems weren't working because of Doge! Doge cuts target fraud, waste and DEI. So, riddle me this. Are Democrats so addled by years of climate hoaxes and TDS, that now they believe flood warnings would be more effective if more women, trans and minorities were there in the middle of the night to warn sleeping people about water that rises 25 ft in 45 minutes? All those DEI WOKE grants and scams made no one safer; they did make some richer. It was billions going to bureaucrats and politicians as a way to buy votes.

The old rugged cross--a Michigan gospel song

The publication I use with my morning meditations is called "The Magnificat" and is Roman Catholic using a liturgical year theme. I enjoy it because of its excellent stories, history, scripture and art. I was surprised that the hymn for today was, "The old rugged Cross," by George Bennard published in 1913. I was baptized in the Church of the Brethren and since 1974 have been Lutheran (ALC, ELCA, NALC synods but all the same congregation). That gospel hymn in the 50s and 70s when my hymn books were published was not sung in our churches, although I'd always known it. So as often happens I got sidetracked and researched this hymn which was consistently named America's favorite gospel hymn in surveys between 1925 and 1960. After reading about it in my own sources, I switched to podcasts, and found this one by Randy Melchert and his interview about the Old Rugged Cross Church and Museum in Pocagon, Michigan. Some of these interviews have been on TV. Enjoy--this hymn has a very interesting background. And if you live in the mid-west, it looks like a great site for a trip.

https://www.vcy.tv/our-christian-heritage-with-randy-melchert/videos/the-old-rugged-cross-church-with-bob-molly-shafer

A follow up on VBS at UALC

 This note was sent to the congregation:

"In the midst of June's heat wave, UALC had the opportunity to welcome people from all across Columbus to the Oasis of God's kingdom that we call our church home. Each day, nearly 240 adult and teen volunteers were able to welcome about 650 children and their families to Mill Run for Young Kids and Big Kids VBS. From greeting participants in the parking lot to singing on the stage, each volunteer role played a huge part in welcoming these families into the house of the Lord and assuring them that we could dwell in this space with our good shepherd forever!

During our week of VBS we had the opportunity to see a special kind of spiritual growth form in the lives of the children who attended Big Kids VBS. They worked on memorizing ten different verses from David's portion of the Psalter (including the six verses of Psalm 23), heard David's story with a fresh perspective on his journey from shepherd to king, learned how his story points forward to the work of Jesus Christ, and explored the very character of our Lord as they heard Jesus' invocation of the title "good shepherd." Conversations sparked all over the place about trusting God as we walk through difficult things, being able to go to him in prayer, trusting Jesus to walk with us into school buildings, onto soccer fields, or in friendships and family relationships.

While all the excitement of Big Kids swarmed the building, 180 preschoolers and their parents were singing, dancing, and shouting Jesus' name in the Fellowship Hall! Our Young Kids VBS program was full and thriving this year. Each morning, kids from birth to five years filed into the building with their parents and guardians to be led by 22 amazing teens in songs, crafts, games, and worship. They saw the story of King David played out on stage, heard the gospel over and over, and had the words of scripture sewn into their hearts throughout the week. There were many parents there who had participated in VBS as a teen or as a child, and they brought their kids to experience the fun. There were also many parents there who don't have a church home or didn't know the gospel, and they got an invitation into Jesus' family. After YKVBS each day, preschool parents gathered on the playground for free iced coffee and play time, as well as time to connect with each other and our church staff.

One of the best parts of the week was watching the confidence of the preschoolers grow each day. In the first two days of learning songs and motions, they generally stayed close by their grown up's side. But by the end of the week, there was a huge group of preschoolers gathered together at the edge of the stage, dancing their hearts out, confident in their worship, shouting out "He's my good, good shepherd!" It was a beautiful picture of heaven and the uninhibited worship that our hearts and bodies are made for."

Republicans want the perfect bill--there's no such thing

Big beautiful bill. Republicans demand the perfect; Democrats demand that anything Trump must be hated.

 
Donald J. Trump has had the most successful presidency that I can remember (closed the border using current law, lowered the crime rate, raised incomes, negotiated the tariffs sending stock market soaring, worked with Israel for the successful bombing of Iran's nuclear development stores thus fulfilling the work of 15 years [under 2 other Democrat presidents, btw], got NATO to increase their share, brought warring African countries to the table, put roadblocks against racist policies in universities, defied stupid DEI and climate policies), yet there are Republicans who are pouting because their favorite piece isn't in the puzzle. So they can screw up the biggest tax cut for the middle class, in an attempt to help their state, but hurt the rest of us. Or just because they too hate Trump's success. So much for patriotism. Like VDH observes, they won't harvest at 70% success and wait until the hail destroys the entire crop.

Republicans Who Voted Against Big Beautiful Bill Revealed

Final performance for VBS

Don't you just love seeing the kiddoes after a week or two of VBS? I don't recall the exact numbers, but I think the pastor said ca. 650 kids and maybe 250 volunteer teens and adults. But we had some performances in church today with many decked out in their VBS Psalm 23 (theme) t-shirts. I wish I'd pulled out my camera. Our service is still on the move so we're worshiping back at a local school. The little ones did some songs for us, and when they were finished we saw the boys jump off the stage and the girls walk carefully down the steps. Some things don't change. Tonight the church is having a dinner in the park (we're too tired to go--birthday party for a friend) to pray for the local, national and world events. This is a good week to do that! https://www.ualc.org/visit

The latest Democrat bad idea for NYC mayor

Zohran Mamdani is such a hypocrite--but what else could a communist be?

He's whiter and far more rich than I am, yet he preaches envy, and hate toward whites who are ethnically European, immigrants who fled socialism and succeeded with capitalism. He makes Tik Tok videos to be consumed by a generation who can't read, understand history or figure out biology, and he was voted in by rich, white liberals still feeling cheated by the Harris and Biden dog and pony show. Democrats have a lot on their plate, and they'd better stop the TDS hate and get busy tending business in their own party.

"You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American satirical action comedy film with Adam Sandler. It's the story of an Israeli super soldier and counter-terrorist commando who fakes his own death to pursue his dream of becoming a hairstylist in the United States while contending with a crooked businessman, a superhuman terrorist arch-rival, and the grudge of a certain taxi driver." from Wikipedia.