Work on that, Republicans

I'm so tired of Republicans, conservatives, media mavens and "influencers" all twisted up in the Epstein files. You're being conned and the Trump haters are delighted.

 
They showed no interest in it during the Biden years, so right there is your clue. It's only being used to divide and you're falling for it again. I don't care if Tucker or Kirk or Kelly or Bannon or Bongino are chattering and unhappy. Get over it.

 
No president has ever had six months like the first half of 2025, and you are pouting on social media because your pet project wasn't solved? Pedophilia involving rich celebrities. There were thousands and thousands of women and girls trafficked for sex during Biden's open borders--work on that. Democrats are weeping and visiting those rapists in prison and complaining about their toilets and food. Give me a break! And Trump has put a stop to it by closing the border which everyone said couldn't be done. Every day in Africa's civil wars women and girls are raped, assaulted and kidnapped. Work on that! Every day our universities are getting foreign money to destroy the minds of young Americans. Work on that!. Every day hospitals are committing sexual mutilations and abortions. Work on that! There are still agencies, non-profits and colleges allowing men to beat up women in their sporting events. Work on that!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/dan-bongino-back-at-work-as-trump-fumes-over-epstein-clash/

Tucker Carlson blames Pam Bondi for Donald Trump's Jeffrey Epstein backlash

Setting the record straight by Jarod Lennis (Facebook)

"Here To Set The Record Straight"

So disappointed in all the lies, blaming of religion, pointing of fingers, and political agendas that have been spewed all over the news and social media after this historic flood.

First off, I live right down the road from the Guadalupe River between Kerrville and Ingram Texas. I spent the evening after the flood searching for survivors. As the days have passed by I am now out searching in an effort to recover victims of the flood. My point is that I am here and have been knee deep in the horrific disaster.

 
Warnings *

 I was given Warnings from my phone all night long. I went to bed as rain poured down. I was awakened several times throughout the night by my phone giving me an emergency flash flood warning. To be honest, it was annoying. I immediately shut it off and went back to sleep. This is hill country, we get flash floods all the time. No one could of imagined what was coming. It came so fast. The river rose 29 feet in one hour. There is Nothing that anyone could have done.

Emergency Response *
Before I could fully comprehend what happened there were the sounds of sirens and helicopters overhead. Local Emergency response was immediate. Emergency response from neighboring towns was immediate. Emergency response from DPS, Texas Game Wardens, Coast Guard, Military, Search & Rescue, and so many other groups was immediate. Not to mention the incredible amount of local people and local businesses that came out in full force to help in every way possible. Within a day we had people and businesses from all over coming to help in any way they could.

Religion & Politics*

Not one single time as we were digging through piles of debris as big as a house looking for survivors or while trying to recover victims did anyone mention a single thing about blaming religion or politics. All we had time for were prayers over those missing and those looking for the missing. Those out there on the news and social media pointing fingers at local officials and blaming this tragedy on religion and politics should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

 
In Closing*

If you do not have your boots laced up and on the ground looking for victims. If you do not have something positive to say. If all you are doing is pointing fingers. Then you need to go sit your ass down and shut your mouth."

Jarod Lennix (copied from FB)

Podcasts--they must be easy to make with the right tool

I've become a fan of podcasts, but I've got a lot to learn. I only listen, I don't create. Today I found a podcast of a publication of mine, "AI Podcast of "Annotated Bibliography on Agricultural Credit and Rural Savings: IV". I don't know how it's done, but it is fascinating to listen to--even I didn't know all this stuff (written in the 1980s), but somehow this AI generated, British accented (?) voice managed to find "fascinating highlights" and amazing details in what I wrote about Thai farmers or Latin American banks. I'm not sure you can access the link because I've joined the platform, but it is free to sign up for the basic level. I've been using it for Biblical scholarship, but it covers all topics. If you've published something, it may now be on a podcast.

https://www.academia.edu/ai_podcast/116016187?

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."