Amazing immigrants

What an amazing rise and list of achievements for Indian Americans. Kamala Harris, daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants; Usha Chilukuri Vance, daughter of Indian immigrants; Kash Patel, son of Indian immigrant parents; Jay Bhattacharya, naturalized citizen born in India, Vivek Ramaswamy, son of Indian immigrants and Sundar Pichai (Google) born in India. And maybe more I don't know about. The USA definitely needs its immigrants. It doesn't need invasions. Trump, son of an immigrant and married to an immigrant, will take care of that.

"Indians in the US, with an average household earning of USD 123,700 and 79 per cent of college graduates, have surpassed the overall American population in terms of wealth and college education, according to a media report which cited the latest census data. The number of people who identify as Asian in the United States nearly tripled in the past three decades, and Asians are now the fastest-growing of the nation's four largest racial and ethnic groups, according to a New York Times analysis of .. "

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/indians-in-us-wealthier-with-average-household-earning-of-123700-report/articleshow/85623601.cms?

What a week! January 20, 2025

What an incredible week. Hostages were released to the arms of their family and country. Donald J. Trump is inaugurated for a 2nd term with hundreds of orders ready to go. Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored with a national holiday. Common sense makes an historic return to our capital.

The hymn I read this morning from Magnificat, January 2025, does not seem to have a title except Church--Worship--Morning (1958 Red Service Book and Hymnal, p 202)

"All praise to thee, who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept:
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless light partake.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with thyself my spirit fill." (Verses 3 & 4)

Good thoughts for anyone, but especially those taking on this heavy burden of wars, border invasion, inflation, devastation by fire in California and floods in North Carolina, dysfunctional government bureaucracy, party loyalties, divided families.

Verse 6 of this hymnal version (poem) is the "Doxology," so familiar to many Christians, and sung every Sunday by millions. If you ever need to sing a group hymn and don't know all the words, use this one--everyone knows the final verse. It was written by an Anglican Bishop, Thomas Ken. Bishop Ken had a great singing voice and used it to speak out against corruption in the British monarchy. He even spent some time in the Tower of London for treason. He wrote many volumes of poetry. This hymn is most often sung to the tune of "Old Hundredth" (for Ps. 100).

Weather for Inauguration Day 2025

The weather warnings were accurate. I think it's about 4 degrees in Columbus, and probably worse east of us. I'm glad they moved the festivities inside--you never know how many more Bidenights would need to be pardoned. Now why do you suppose Fauci needed a pardon? Not charged with anything. Finally, some transparency about all those lockdowns and lies.

That's a rhetorical question, of course. We know the Bidenights held Americans hostage for 4 years and they assume Republicans are as evil as they are. After all, Liz Cheney was their example.

Take the tree down day

 Actually, that was yesterday. We decorated it the last week in November when Martti and Riitta were here.  Today was take a box up to the closets day.  It worked out well.  The cleaners have changed to Friday, so they were able to vacuum all the needles.  Even artificial trees make a mess. I've changed the "dressing" on the dining room table, and all the Christmas decor is gone, A friend is cleaning out her home in preparation for a move since her two sisters have moved to the a near-by retirement/nursing home. Her tales have inspired me, so while I was putting away the Christmas boxes, I started taking out some things that need to go to the VOA or the Discovery shop.  If I recall, it was 3 pair of jeans I didn't take the last time I did this, some faded but loved table clothes--one of my mom's and one of mine, and some holey ones left from dad's Marine service days. Also, a lovely smokey blue knitting skein with needles I'd started to work on many years ago while we lived at Lakeside.  I just never got the hang of it no matter how often I tried. Four couch throw pillows made the cut--last time I looked at them I wasn't ready to pitch.  And bunches of artificial flowers and ivy, I think they've been in this house at least 20 year--at least the color theme seems to be late 90s or early 2000s. I can see why decluttering is a good thing--everyone says it's good, but my goodness, saying good-bye is difficult.  I just tossed in the trash about a ream of paper I'll never use.  It's from those fat political screeds printed on one side only.  It makes me think of my Grandmother (Mary) who did all her correspondence on used paper--a habit she kept after the Great Depression.  I also went through a batch of pencils to see how many worked. 

It's been a week since my pacemaker (dual chamber) was implanted and I think I'm taking fewer naps and staying awake in the evening later.  That's good. I'm tracking my blood pressure and it seems to be behaving.

My Saturday Bible class is starting a new session tomorrow, but I plan to skip it.  It's a Blackaby series, and I remember doing it in the 1990s.  Boring. In fact, our whole church also did it while the classes did it also.  Double boring.

Here's my 2017 efforts to declutter: Collecting My Thoughts: Monday Memories--moving the books out

Potter-mania

Potter-mania is still with us.

I never bought or read a Harry Potter book. My daughter used to stand in line to buy one when they came out, but I fell asleep during the movie. Now on the used book sale market, they can be very expensive. ABEBooks.com sold 4 Harry Potter first editions hardcover copies for $105,700. Each copy represents a different impression of the first UK edition, each with its own idiosyncrasies.

And to think J.K. Rowling was "cancelled" because she won't say men can be women.

https://www.abebooks.com/books/rarebooks/most-expensive-sales-2024?

J.K. Rowling - Books, Family & Facts

I doubt that any of my books are worth anything, but I still have trouble getting rid of them. I could probably convince myself let me pass this one along.

Low battery alert and very cold weather

Not a good mix. I decided (now that I can drive again) to go to Walmart after the gym and see if any of those snazzy CD/FM/AM clock radio players that I saw online were in stock, but they weren't so I bought a few items and went to the car. I have one of those automatic key fob thingies and it wouldn't let me in the car. I had seen a warning (but only one) on the dash a few days ago that the battery in the key fob was low, but had done nothing about it. It quit on what could be one of the coldest days this winter, and I'm standing in the parking lot with groceries. I figured out how to get the hidden key out, even with cold fingers. Then realized that after opening the door, there was no place to put it in the starter button. Then the dash told me it couldn't recognize the fob, so I got closer to it, and it started. And I took off for Auto-zone to buy a battery. They only come with 2, so I then went back with the other one and had the guy change that one, too.  It took several tools and his smacking it on the counter to get it replaced.

Tech was not my friend this week (old CD player was electrocuted and died). What I was looking for is one of these.  Mine was a 1998 model that fried when a light bulb blew.  Some of the new ones look like 1960s or 1950s radios.

Following a long family tradition

I got my dual chamber leadless pacemaker implants yesterday. Smaller than a AAA battery. Home from the hospital in time to see the Buckeyes win, although I was asleep by then. I think the smaller one goes in the lower chamber of the heart. No wires, no surgery.

Turning the page

I changed my "page a day" horse calendar to JAN 7 today and looked at the quote for the 6th, "It is the quality of our work which will please God and not the quantity," Mahatma Gandhi. I would sure be in trouble if that's what pleases God. And it's not very Biblical and would only apply to certain tasks. Just think of all you do where quantity matters; then which work needs the top quality. The best. Think about wiping a sick child's nose. Will you let that poor little snot covered face just fester because you can't do it perfectly and only once ? Or the 5" of snow I'm looking at outside my window. Individually the flakes might all be perfect, but frolicking together they surely are massively magnificent (as long as you don't need to go to the grocery store). I understand the thought behind the quote--do your best, merit matters, excel even in the smallest job, nothing is too small, etc.--but I know that God is pleased with the imperfect effort if done with a loving heart

New Year's changes in Social Security benefits for retirees

If you are retired and receiving a public pension (like STRS or PERS in Ohio) you couldn't "double dip" and also get your social security benefits. That has just changed. All the details are not worked out yet, and I have no idea how retroactive it will be. Retirees' associations have been battling this for over 40 years, but of course if Biden signed the bill he'll get the credit. To look it up check out government offset, or windfall--they are 2 different laws.

https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10045.pdf?

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/program-explainers/windfall-elimination-provision.html?

Hugh Hewitt on Biden, the media, and the scandal of the year

I'm just catching up on some podcasts. Christmas Eve eve Hugh Hewitt (Dec. 23) was apoplectic over the news of Biden's clemency and pardon list including 37 on federal death row (3 remain). The 3 who still face the death penalty were obvious "DEI"/ political choices.

The three men on federal death row did not get a commutation were Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who along with his brother killed three people in 2013; Robert Bowers, who killed 11 at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, and Dylann Roof, who killed nine black Charleston churchgoers in 2015.

 
Among those getting some holiday cheer is Thomas Sanders, who in 2010 kidnapped and then shot 12-year-old Lexis Roberts four times and cut her throat in Louisiana — days after the girl watched as Sanders murdered her mother on a road trip near the Grand Canyon." (New York Post) 

I'm sure the families of the other 37 will be thrilled that Biden who claims to be against the death penalty due to his Catholic faith, makes exceptions for race and religion while supporting and advocating for death to the unborn which the Catholic Church definitely condemns.

This news came on top of the Wall St. Journal story on the incompetency and dementia of Biden the entire 4 years and how his family and staff protected him and the media lied. The WSJ story was solid journalism with many interviews with staff and observers and media who weren't allowed to tell what they knew. Conservatives who knew this had been silenced or cancelled or called conspiracy nuts. Because Hugh is a journalist, he was most upset with the media, but he's awfully mad at Jill Biden and the rest of his family. The Scandal of the Year - The Hugh Hewitt Show: Highly Concentrated - Apple Podcasts  

Every Democrat you know should listen to this.

Butternut Squash on a cold winter day

I'm baking a butternut squash today. Usually I peel it, but that's hard on the hands. "Winter squash are packed with lots of nutrients. Adding them to your meal rotation is a great way to get fiber, along with vitamins A and C, potassium and antioxidants. Consider that 1 cup of baked butternut squash, one of the most popular varieties of winter squash, provides 160% of your daily recommended value of vitamin A, along with 7 grams of fiber." (https://www.mccormick.com/articles/adam-dolge/can-you-eat-squash-skin?)

One cup (205 grams) of cooked butternut squash provides (1Trusted Source):
Calories: 82
Carbs: 22 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Vitamin A: 457% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Vitamin C: 52% of the RDI
Vitamin E: 13% of the RDI
Thiamine (B1): 10% of the RDI
Niacin (B3): 10% of the RDI
Pyridoxine (B6): 13% of the RDI
Folate (B9): 10% of the RDI
Magnesium: 15% of the RDI
Potassium: 17% of the RDI
Manganese: 18% of the RDI
Aside from the vitamins and minerals listed above, it’s also a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and copper. (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/butternut-squash)

Update: Since I had about 3 cups of squash, 2 cups of mashed potatoes (made with lots of butter and cream) and a quart of chicken broth, I did make squash soup this morning because my friend Nancy planted the seed in my brain. Tossed in some cloves, cinnamon etc. tasted it--mighty fine--so I had a bowl for breakfast. Delicious. With a cinnamon bagel and cream cheese.

We enjoyed friends and events in 2024, looking back

January 2024

1. Looks like we were doing the same as this year--packing things up to take the VOA, Discovery Shop and library. Old clothes, clearing shelves, washed sweaters and table clothes,

2. Met with police and banks about a credit scan. New cards.

4. Campfire (conservative Christians) met at Kullbergs. Senior Bible Study, Philippians

5. OSUL luncheon at Morgan House on Glick Rd.

6. Rusty Bucket  with Bill and Joyce, Joan and Jerry

8. Book Club, Sisters of Sinai

10. Coffee with Adrienne

11. Campfire at Kullbergs.  Senior Bible Study, Mary Kate Hipp on Tabernacle.

12. Coffee with Joann and Jim at McDonald's.

13. Quilt show at MR.

25. Senior Bible Study, Tammy Schuster

26. dinner/dessert Jerry and Joan, Bill and Joyce at Rusty Bucket

27.  WOW bible study overview by Woodsen, Shopping at Macy's with Phoebe.

28,  Retirement party for Dave and Pam Mann, began in 1974 with middle school kids

February 2024

1 Senior Bible Study, in-between parables

2. OSUL retirees

3. WOW

5. Book Club, My first ladies (flowers)

8. Senior Bible Study

9. Stone kitchen, Bill and Joyce, Jerry and Joan dessert at Joan's. 

10. Sent Valentines cards

11. Dinner here with Bruce and Marty and Rod and Judi, Valentine theme

12., Coffee with Adrienne

22 Senior Bible Study Mark 7 Lenten worship and lunch

29. Senior Bible study Mark 9 Lenten worship and lunch

And I will need to update this--maybe

Take care of your heart

Your heart beats 100,000 times a day — that's roughly 35 million beats per year and 2.5 billion beats over the course of life.

With each beat, the heart pumps blood through a vast network of veins and arteries, delivering oxygen and essential nutrients to every cell while simultaneously removing carbon dioxide and waste.

In fact, your heart pumps so much blood that it travels about 12,000 miles (19,000 km) through your body in a single day, which is twice the diameter of Earth.

And this remarkable organ functions tirelessly, acting as the engine that keeps your body running year after year on end. The sheer number of heartbeats over a lifetime is a testament to the incredible durability and resilience of this small yet powerful organ.

What's more, from infancy through old age, the heart continuously adapts to our changing needs, whether we're exercising, resting, or experiencing stress. So remember: Taking care of your heart ensures that it can keep taking care of you. (from instagram, Hashem Al-Ghaili

Christmas 2024

 Bob will have enjoyment for many evenings with his stash of Christmas reading.  10 Louise Penny and 5 Susan Elia MacNeal.

Christmas Eve 2024, seven services

Our senior pastor at UALC, Steve Turnbull, has to give 7 sermons today, Christmas Eve.  This year an 11 a.m. service was added so that the people who like traditional with communion didn't have to go out at night, and that also provided an option for families with several generations, or who have to visit more than one home.  

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship with Communion

2:00 p.m. Modern Worship with carol Choir

4:00 p.m. Modern Worship

5:30 p.m. Modern Worship

7:30 p.m. Modern Worship, live streamed

9:00 p.m. Traditional Worship with Communion, live streamed

10:30 p.m. Traditional Worship with Communion

And on Christmas Day there will be a 10 a.m. service and we'll be attending that, too.  All services are at the Mill Run campus this year because Lytham Road is a construction zone.

We attended the 11 a.m. service this morning and it was very nice.  We had all the traditional carols and communion and the organ. It was all congregational singing--no solos or choir, and everyone participated.   And also many children--so a little fussy and hyped up about Christmas but such fun to see.  The 2 little girls in front of us, maybe 5 and 9, wore lovely match green sequined dresses with cute bows in their hair.  Dad helped the little one with her lighted candled after careful instructions from Pastor Joe.

We're having carry-out-in from DaVinci's tonight.  The restaurant needed the pick up by 2 p.m. so our daughter brought everything over and it's been repackaged and ready to put in the oven around 5 p.m.  The table is set with good china and we're using Phil's Christmas tablecloth.

Merry Christmas to all.  Joy to the World and Hark the Herald Angels sing!

Christmas 1994, 30 years ago

 Is doesn't look like I'll be getting out my Christmas letter until maybe Valentine's day, but I found an old, old one from December 1994, so I'll re-post. We still have that tree--so it's held up well. Bob started his architectural business that year, and we'd bought a lot of equipment. We'd visited both Indianapolis and Mt. Morris family.

Christmas 1994

Phoebe and Mark invited us over to see their Christmas tree--an artificial model, and we liked it, thought it looked pretty good, so they went with us and we shopped for a tree for us, too. It's now standing in the living room and we don't have to worry about turning out lights, or getting too dry. However, the wonderful pine smell is definitely missing. I bought some spray, but it only makes the room smell like I've used an air freshener. There are some things that you just can't get out of a can!

We'll be going to visit our Indianapolis family on Dec. 17 and then on the 18th continue on to Mt. Morris for a 3 day visit with Mom and Dad. Bob has some special Christmas presents planned for his family members, but we'll actually miss the get-together which will be on the 24th. We'll be back here to have church, dinner and celebration with our family.

We got all our "toys" in November. We're upgrading Bob's office to the family room and bought a copier, a fax machine and a new computer for him, and a garage door opener, washing machine, garbage disposal and new Dodge Van for us.

Bob's first year (actually 10 months) of business is coming to a close, and it has been a good learning experience, and he's even made some money. Three of the jobs have been Lakeside cottages--something he originally thought he didn't want to do because then it would be "work" to go there instead of relaxation.

                                                            Christmas 1994

Advantages of physical activity for older people

 The new study, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, found that, on average, people aged 50 to 83 who did more moderate to vigorous physical activity than usual on a given day did better in memory tests the day after.

Associations of accelerometer-measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep with next-day cognitive performance in older adults: a micro-longitudinal study | International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity | Full Text

Guess I better go to the gym today.  When it's cold or raining, that's a tough haul for me.

Mangione's back looks fine to me

 Critics of the health insurance industry needs to be looking at Barack Obama and Obamacare, not at company CEOs. And those idiots idolizing Luigi! I've seen the video clips of the sappy women and gay men drooling over Luigi Mangione. In the 1970s we visited prisoners at the old Ohio Pen with a church group and saw with our own eyes how otherwise normal women quickly became suckers for convicts. It's the "misunderstood bad boy" attraction. They become 14 and stupid again, The guy didn't even need to look like a model--could be short, fat and ugly, and yet these women fell for the lies and sad story. It was shocking, so I'm not surprised that women still fall for it no matter how vile the crime. Also, I saw Mangione in a film clip racing his bike through the streets of NYC and it didn't look like a bad back to me.

I'm still the fashion police

A lot has changed since Trump won in 2016. He knew the deep state was a problem, but only now sees how deep and murky politics really is. He knows now it's much more cutthroat than business or entertainment, but loyalty and deals are still his strength. Ordinary words have flipped, and Democrats seized words like "democracy" and "woman" and stomped on and shredded them. In my opinion, Melania and Barron are hardly recognizable. She's dressing like a librarian, or the wardrobe we used to wear 30 years ago--gray suits, sensible shoes, subdued and blending in. Barron looks like he's grown about a foot and now towers above both parents and all his siblings Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany. Last I read he was 6'9" and still growing and advised his dad about the younger voters.

Dual-chamber leadless pacemaker system

I won't exactly be making medical history, but I might be moving quickly ahead of my dad and siblings, all of whom had/have a conventional pacemaker. I'll be meeting with Dr. Amin about a "revolutionary" dual-chamber leadless pacemaker system, which will coordinate i2i (implant to implant) devices (smaller than a AAA battery) between the heart's atrial and ventricular chambers without traditional leads. I've seen it likened to a "moonshot" or a least a Thomas Edison moment in heart regulation. It was approved by FDA in 2023. I'm a pace setter at age 85!

Of course, I've learned all this in a week, so I'm a little fuzzy on the details--I been reading blogs and product literature and listening to podcasts. It's like trying to learn Mandarin and then having a conversation. It's brand new even to the experts, IMO.

 
In September I was told I was not a candidate for a pacemaker (originally developed in the late 50s) and here I be, now ready for the moon! If you have one of these in your heart, let me know--I've yet to meet anyone who does. And if you're a direct descendant of Grandma Bessie, we might want to talk.

A Christian and an evolutionary biologist with no faith discuss the value of religion

 A non-religious evolutionary biologist is stumped about human dignity.  Only religion explains it.

https://youtu.be/gwQHLHNsKvw?si=4NEjlCLCo8Qf_fpY  full podcast

https://youtu.be/28AvAlU8FPs?si=ePq6yhIVsjhUFltq   critical clip

Dark Horse is one of my favorite podcasts.  I've never heard of John Papola and the Dad Saves America podcast before, but he sounds like a critical thinker and just a wee-bit over my head. He reminds me of Joe Rogan without the profanity. 

Federal employees and IRS

"Don’t expect to get any customer service from the IRS. Only two of the 76 local IRS offices picked up their phones to answer questions, according to a July 2024 report." This is from Daily Signal report on at home workers for the federal government.  https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/12/05/joni-ernst-report-highlights-federal-employee-outrages/?

That caught my eye because we've just received a letter from the IRS saying we had a refund for our 2021 taxes (I think it was due to their error) and needed to fill out a form immediately and return it in order to claim it because we hadn't responded. There was no previous notice. Someone probably had her coffee cup or romance novel sitting on it. Or maybe she was at the beach and just didn't meet her quota.

Why did so many women vote for Trump?

Although I haven't read it yet, First Things has an article "How Trump won over women voters."  How Trump Won Over Women Voters | Rachel Bovard | First Things I'll give my own opinion and read it later--usually you can read that excellent religion and culture journal free for one or two times.

 
My take. Although highly paid and over-educated women as a group do lean to the left and are easily led because they are too busy with career and kids to carefully research the issues of the day, most women care about their budget, their children's education, their neighborhood, the safety of their families and community, and they love being women. They may love men, but don't want to compete with them for restroom facilities or athletic scholarships. Also, they don't like wimpy, childish men. Really.

 
That would sum up a Trump voter, or at least a voter who realized Harris didn't align with their values no matter who was running against her. Women voters knew, because Harris said so, that she was the last person in the room when Joe signed off on the Afghanistan bug out, when he showed the world how weak and feckless he was throwing us into 2 wars with no vote from Congress, and how she went along with the country lock down mandates, how the churches closed without a whimper from fear, and how children were unnecessarily forced to get the jab or be locked out of their schools and athletic events. Women voters saw other women being cancelled for speaking out or deciding not to run for school board or city council out of fear of retaliation. Women voters saw their own grocery bills and housing costs soar while illegals were being housed and fed in hotels. https://nypost.com/.../nyc-now-using-14-hotels-to-house.../

"In the real world, where the vast majority of American women actually live, this shift was inevitable. Most American women are turning to the right because the elite left has turned against most American women.

According to exit polls, women voters’ top concerns in 2024 were the economy and “threats to our democracy.” By contrast, Democrats’ top campaign messages were “abortion-on-demand” and “Orange Man Bad.” 

Maybe their marching song instead of "I am woman hear me roar" (1972) became "I am woman respect my body and my vote" (2024).

Leadless Pacemakers

 My cardiologist's staff has contacted me about having a leadless pacemaker after getting some results on November 20 from the heart monitor loop which is showing bradycardia, tachycardia and atrial fibrillation. In fact, several times it had stopped.  So I thought I'd better be informed before I agreed to it since a few weeks ago I was told I was not going to have a pacemaker. There is not a lot of information.

"Traditional pacemakers have been the standard treatment option for patients with severe/symptomatic bradycardia, an arrhythmia indicating an unusually slow heart rate. While there have been significant advancements in pacemaker technology since its introduction in 1958, pacemaker devices have continued to require the creation of a surgical pocket under the skin on the upper portion of the chest wall in order to hold the power source, and the use of leads to reach the pacing site. Current leadless pacemaker devices are self-contained enclosed capsules that include the pacemaker electronics and battery, and are delivered via catheter to the right ventricle of the heart. Leadless pacemakers function similarly to traditional single-chamber ventricular pacemakers without requiring transvenous leads or the need for a surgical pocket. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/evidence/leadless-pacemakers

I wanted to know the background of the funding and approval. This was CHAT generated

"Based on the provided search results, here is a summary of the Aveir leadless pacemaker grants:

FDA Approval: The Aveir Leadless Pacemaker System received FDA approval on March 31, 2022, for the treatment of bradycardia (slow heart rate) or irregular heart rhythms.

Indications: The system is indicated for management of one or more of the following permanent conditions: syncope, pre-syncope, fatigue, disorientation. Rate-modulated pacing is indicated for patients with chronotropic incompetence, and for those who would benefit from increased stimulation rates concurrent with physical activity.

Retrievability: The Aveir leadless pacemaker has a high retrieval success rate, with a study demonstrating a rate of 88% over 9 years, making it a viable option for patients who may require future upgrades or removal.

Dual-Chamber Pacing: The Aveir DR system is the first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker approved by the FDA, allowing for simultaneous pacing of both the atrium and ventricle.

Battery Longevity: The Aveir VR leadless pacemaker has a projected battery longevity of up to 16 years, compared to the average 8-10 years for traditional transvenous pacemakers.

Clinical Trials: The LEADLESS II trial demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the Aveir VR leadless pacemaker at 6 weeks post-implantation, with a high efficacy rate of over 98%.

Congenital Heart Disease: A retrospective review of three Aveir retrievable leadless pacemaker implants in adult patients with congenital heart disease showed successful implantation and short-term outcomes up to one year post-implant.

These grants and approvals demonstrate the Aveir leadless pacemaker’s potential as a safe and effective treatment option for patients with bradycardia or irregular heart rhythms, particularly those with congenital heart disease.


fda.gov
Aveir Leadless Pacing System – Aveir Leadless Pacemaker, Model LSP112V (Right Ventricular); Aveir Delivery Catheter, Model LSCD111; and Aveir Link Module, Module LSL02 – P150035 | FDA

abbott.com
AVEIR DR System: 3 Things to Know After FDA Approval | Abbott Newsroom
cardiovascular.abbott

What we're asking the loop recorder to do? video from a 2023 conference The Latest in Implantable Cardiac Monitor Technology: Dr. Ulrika Birgersdotter-Green at HRS 2023

Product information on Abbott dual chamber leadless pacing

https://www.cardiovascular.abbott/us/en/hcp/products/cardiac-rhythm-management/pacemakers/aveir-dr-dual-chamber-leadless-pacemaker-system.html?

Since 1996 I've been on medication to control heart rate. For most of my life I've had POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), but didn't know what it was. Had an ablation in January 2002, but it didn't work. POTS: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Advent Sunday by Christina Rossetti

Advent Sunday
by Christina Georgina Rossetti

Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go ye out
With lighted lamps and garlands round about
To meet Him in a rapture with a shout.

It may be at the midnight, black as pitch,
Earth shall cast up her poor, cast up her rich.

It may be at the crowing of the cock
Earth shall upheave her depth, uproot her rock.

For lo, the Bridegroom fetcheth home the Bride:
His Hands are Hands she knows, she knows His Side.

Like pure Rebekah at the appointed place,
Veiled, she unveils her face to meet His Face.

Like great Queen Esther in her triumphing,
She triumphs in the Presence of her King.

His Eyes are as a Dove's, and she's Dove-eyed;
He knows His lovely mirror, sister, Bride.

He speaks with Dove-voice of exceeding love,
And she with love-voice of an answering Dove.

Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go we out
With lamps ablaze and garlands round about
To meet Him in a rapture with a shout.

Advent Sunday:Christina Rossetti | Malcolm Guite

Democrat values reflect their policies

I've watched 3 weeks of Democrats pointing fingers, and they just can't figure it out, was it racist white males, or disillusioned minorities, or her vice president choice, or lack of support from Biden staff, and on and on and on. So here's my repeat of November 6 for them to think about. Pick just 2 and Trump wins.

"Kamala gave a stirring and passionate concession speech today saying she would continue to fight for our democracy--for her principles--open borders, packing the court, gun confiscation, arresting people who use their first amendment rights like religion and speech, promising inflationary policies like price controls and government give aways to some home buyers, funding foreign wars, and destroying the unborn while our birth rate plummets. And the people cheered."

Watts, Wesley and Winkworth

 Our small group from UALC (our church) is sharing leadership for our meetings on Zoom and I plan to offer a discussion on hymns as we enter the Advent and Christmas seasons with the theme of Watts, Wesley, and Winkworth--Whymns.  It turned out to be a bigger topic than I'd planned, so I decided to "blog" about it.

The topic covers three faith traditions--Puritan/Congregational, Methodist and Lutheran. I say tradition rather than denominations because there have been many divisions. These divisions and traditions developed during a time of great cultural changes in the arts, technology, and politics over three centuries.

There are many biographies available on the internet, so I've linked to only one site, but after reading several, they don't all agree. And I've added a link to a recording. 

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) Nonconformist (non-Anglican), dissenter, English 

Known as the "Father of English hymnody," Isaac Watts wrote approximately 600 hymns. He showed literary genius even as a boy. He learned Latin at four, Greek at nine, French at ten, and Hebrew at thirteen. His parents were "Dissenters." That is, they were not Anglicans, which was a treasonous offense in those days. Frustrated with the heartless psalm singing of his time, young Watts sometimes criticized the singing at his church. A dissenter among dissenters, I'd say.  Listening to his concerns one day, Watts' father challenged him, "Well then, young man, why don't you give us something better to sing?" He rose to the challenge by writing his first hymn. It was well received by his congregation, and for the next two years, Watts wrote a new hymn for every Sunday. He is known for Christianizing the Psalms. Isaac Watts - The Center For Church Music, Songs and Hymns

https://youtu.be/iYYXWxDzEmM?si=piM_5tB7KAda78-f  O God our help in ages past, paraphrase of Psalm 90, a good hymn for the New Year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMK9QHaoqpo  podcast about Isaac Watts

At The Cross: Isaac Watts, The Father of Hymns

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Church of England, Methodist, Missionary to Georgia, English

"Charles Wesley wrote over 6500 hymns [some sources say 8,000], which would be writing at least two hymns a week, every week for 50 years, from his conversion in 1738 to his death in 1788. His hymns came out of what he saw as important occasions. His own life inspired hymns: his conversion, his marriage, things he had seen, the death of his friends. Public events inspired hymns: the earthquake panic, rumors of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots. He wrote hymns for all the festivals of the Christian faith.

Wesley’s hymns can be generally classified as hymns of Christian experience, invitation hymns, sanctification hymns, funeral hymns, and hymns on the love of God. In his hymns, he referenced all but 4 of the books of the Bible. He used more than 45 different meters. It has been said that Wesley’s hymns clothed Christ in flesh and blood and gave converts a belief that they could easily grasp, embrace with personal faith, and if necessary, even die for." 

Charles Wesley - The Center For Church Music, Songs and Hymns  (excerpt) 

Why Wesley Still Dominates Our Hymnbook - Christianity Today  Really good article, but it is 17 pages long

https://youtu.be/9Bwn0k0k8xI?si=pbrUv266Izp907kr "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," Charles Wesley

Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)  studied with Unitarians, English, best known as translator of 17th century German hymns

"Winkworth was a prolific translator of German hymns She became interested in translating these hymns when Chevelier Bunsen, the German ambassador to England presented her with a copy of Andachtsbuch. This devotional book showed her the treasures in German hymnody. She published two series of Lyra Germanica, in 1855 and 1858. The first had 103 translations from Bunsen's Versuch eines allgemeinen Gesang und Gebetbuchs (1833). The second had 121 more translations from the same book. She also published the Chorale Book for England (1863), which contained some earlier translations with their proper chorale tunes, and Christian Singers of Germany, (1869) biographies of German hymn writers." 

Catherine Winkworth - The Center For Church Music, Songs and Hymns 

  https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-now-thank-we-all-our-god  Now thank we all our God, Martin Rinkart

God of our weary years

"God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land."

James Weldon Johnson, 1871-1938, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (third stanza)

I could never understand how some think this poem/hymn could be controversial or that it belongs to only one group. It is universal, past, present and future, autobiographical from womb to tomb. From struggle to hope to victory.

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Operation Christmas Child

Message from UALC: We pray for each shoebox that will be brought to Mill Run this week, from our church and other churches in the area. We pray for the journey of the shoeboxes and the individuals involved in getting them to the children. May the contents of these boxes bring necessities, as well as items of joy and fun to each recipient. We pray for the children and families whose lives will be impacted by the contents, and the message of God and his love.

There will be many more, but this was the stack on November 16, 2024.

The only time Democrats care about women

The same people who didn't care about 

300,000 children missing in the U.S. and possibly trafficked because of Biden's policies,

 
men in women's locker rooms and playing against them in physical sports,

 
who think normal people are Nazis if they don't list pronouns,

find 34 felonies in a bookkeeping error

 
can't tell us what a woman is but can serve as judges or professors

those same people will believe an anonymous woman (yes, for this they will say she's a woman) quoted in a leftist newspaper or social media site about any charges about a male Republican in line for an important corporate or political office.

The problem is left over cookie icing

 RFK Jr can't do it all alone. MAHA can do some things, but it's up to us to exercise, eat fewer calories, drink less and stop smoking. And I could stop cleaning up the bowl of icing after I make the cookies (like I just did).

Melt half a stick of butter, a few drops of vanilla, a dash of salt, and a few scoops of Hersey's cocoa (dark). Mix in enough powdered sugar to make it stiff. If it's too stiff to spread on the cookies, add a little half and half. Spread on cookies. Chocolate makes everything better.

What happened to Title IX?

I asked Google(?) who changed the original meaning of Title IX.

 
Sen. Birch Bayh wrote the original 37 words to insert in an education bill in 1972. It was signed by President Nixon. That still doesn't explain to me how President Biden was allowed to change the law in 2022 to add "Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity," in an Executive Order, creating chaos for females in all areas of education. That alone should have been reason enough for all women not to vote for him (or his stand-in, Harris). Let's see if this new case gives women justice. Eventually, women will win in the Supreme Court. There are now biological men competing in women's sports (and other endeavors) who are "women" on their word and nothing else--not drugs, not surgery, long past puberty, just a pure violation of Title IX and with the media as the handmaiden of the violence.

Gaslighters in the sciences

Laura Helmut, editor-in-chief of America’s oldest magazine, Scientific American, resigns after calling Trump voters fascists. She's the fascist. They always accuse others of what they are doing.

If that's what she thinks of us, she should stick by it, and not grovel to get her job back. If she can't handle an election, she needs the rest from a high pressure job and try coal mining, or working the window at McDonald's.

"Helmuth had apologized in a separate post, calling them “offensive and inappropriate” and that they don’t “reflect the position” of Scientific American.

“I respect and value people across the political spectrum,” Helmuth wrote. “These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a mistaken expression of shock and confusion about the election results.” "

A Bible verse to memorize

I've heard my whole life that memorizing text (poetry, Bible verses, instructions, math solutions, etc. is good), and I wish I could, but I struggle with memorizing. But I've found a Bible verse that's easy to remember, and it's a theme that appears throughout the Bible in many ways and in parables, commands, stories, songs, and history. It fits any period of history and doesn't violate anyone's culture or ethnicity. Psalm 37:3 "Trust in the Lord and do good." It's the same in any translation. Then I'll work on the next part which contains the promise that follows the command, and it is a command.

Men in women's sports

There's an easy way to solve this.   https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/trans-athlete-heckled-womens-sports?   See story below.  There can be a third league. The only reasons not to are 1) an agenda to destroy women's sports, 2) dismantle and destabilize women's sense of purpose and identity, and 3) to make unsafe for women those arenas of society that are set aside to protect or promote them. This will have no effect on Lesbians and Gays; they are women or men. Unlike the acronym, they are not natural allies.

 
We need to start at the universities with medical schools that "affirm" the nonsense at the taxpayers expense, like The Ohio State University, and the various children's hospitals. If men want to play "dress up" and wear mascara or women want to deform their bodies and be sterile, allow them to grow up first. These clinics are not kind, understanding or affirming.

"San Jose State University's women's volleyball was defeated by San Diego State University on Saturday, but the score was not what caused the most commotion.

The game saw around triple the usual attendance; however, much of the crowd was not happy to see SJSU's transgender athlete Blaire Fleming. Born Brayden, Fleming is a 6'1'' male whose inclusion on the team has sparked five separate forfeits from opposing teams and even caused his own teammate to speak out against him."

Billions spent on our election

Every election I think how the huge amounts of money could have been spent for better causes. But not this year. The money spent, both by Democrats and Republicans saved our nation to be a blessing to others. It secured our borders, it attacked waste and frivolous spending that would have been far more expensive if not reduced, it slowed down the wars, and perhaps it was the funeral for wokeism in our military, the bureaucracy and academe. It is the new Jim Crow. Is that too much to hope for?

 
The Democrats' money too helped just by showing us how ridiculous and divisive their policies and goals are. While trying to destroy us, they paid millions to show us the opposite of the values they touted with Americans held hostage for a Jan 6 riot, for Americans and allies killed in August 2021, for the coup that was the opposite of democracy, and their killing of babies and maiming of children.

According to Wall St. Journal today: "Kamala Harris raised more than $1 billion and spent more than $900 million [I don't know where the money Biden raised before he withdrew went], while the Trump campaign raised around $380 million and spent more than $350 million. In swing states Democrats had the edge in campaign spending across the board.

The margin was closest in Pennsylvania, where Democrats spent $109 million to Republicans’ $102 million. In Michigan Democrats spent $81 million to Republicans’ $18 million. In Wisconsin it was $49 million to $15 million, according to AdImpact. Mr. Trump won those states, but more narrowly than his advantage on the issues and the national turn to the right suggest he might have."

We Bruces contributed nothing except indirectly. Our money continued to support pro-life causes, religious freedom causes, conservative non-profits and our church. All those organizations have staff, volunteers and communication systems that speak the truths of the Bible and our Constitution. I hope they spent wisely and prayed about it.

Trump election protests

If you totaled all the protesters against the November 5, 2024, election and the pink hat ladies on Trump's first inauguration in 2017 who destroyed cars and set fires, would they add up to the January 6, 2021, protests? Is it an insurrection? Who will keep track?  https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-protests-cities-1981841?

 
From Wikipedia: "By the end of the month [Jan. 2021], the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had opened more than 400 case files and issued more than 500 subpoenas and search warrants related to the riot.[2] The FBI also created a website to solicit tips from the public specifically related to the riot,[3] and were especially assisted by the crowdsourced sleuthing group Sedition Hunters.[4] By the end of 2021, 725 people had been charged with federal crimes.[5][6] That number rose to 1,000 by the second anniversary of the attack,[5] and to 1,200 by the third anniversary, at which point over 890 people had been found guilty of federal crimes.[7][8] These federal cases are handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (D.C.).[9] State cases, of which there are fewer, are handled in the D.C. Superior Court.[10]"

TV series reviews

Recently we got Paramount+ with a renewal of our Spectrum subscription, so I've been watching 3 (new to me) series about female lawyers. All are well done with great supporting casts--"So help me Todd," "Matlock," and "Elsbeth."  All are on demand, so I can watch any time. I have no idea where they are in the regular CBS line up.

1. In So Help Me Todd, the titular Todd (Skylar Astin) is a private investigator whose license was revoked. He’s working in his fastidious attorney mother’s (Marcia Gay Hardin) law firm and the two must navigate both the nature of the job and their relationship. This is my favorite, but it's been cancelled. Lots of family conflicts in this story line, since Todd has siblings, each one with mama issues. One is a doctor and one is assistant to the governor of Oregon. Obligatory LGBTQ sub text.

2. Matlock follows Madeline Matlock as she rejoins the work force at a prestigious law firm, where she uses her wily tactics to win cases and expose wrongdoing. She and her husband have custody of the grandson after their daughter died of a drug overdose. He helps her solve crimes. It's OK, but the writers have her lying a lot to her colleagues and also use the ruse of work hostilities to get the cast to bond. Obligatory LGBTQ sub text. This sounds a little tired, but so far, I've enjoyed most of them before falling asleep.

3. Elsbeth. "Carrie Preston is Elsbeth Tascioni, the astute but unconventional consent decree attorney working with the NYPD to catch New York’s most well-heeled murderers utilizing her unique point of view." I've only watched one episode. It's a comedy-drama so I don't know if there is a sub plot about marriage, divorce, siblings or lesbians.

So, I've OD'd on crime and post middle-age women attorneys. Brenda in "The Closer" got us started on this genre about 20 years ago and she was the trail blazer. Bob still watches the reruns. But none are that good. Marcia Hardin has a fabulous wardrobe, and Elsbeth looks like she shops at my favorite resale shop. Matlock is seen mostly in a gray pants suit or her bathrobe for her home scenes.

What's the future for Trump supporters now?

We attended a small gathering of shell shocked but jubilant voters last evening--pizza, wine, spice cake, and a lot of discussion about the future. I heard many fantastical but hopeful ideas--woke is dead, education department will disappear, border will be safe, the wars will wind down, Musk will be amazing, etc. etc. I'm happy Trump won, but he's just a man full of common sense and old fashioned American idealism. (This was called fascism by his opponents and set him up for assassination attempts.) He's not the return of Jesus.

And for all of us who were ridiculed or cancelled (in job, in family, in friendships or in church) for speaking the truth about the 2020 election, the vaccine or George Floyd, let's hope there can be the purifying effect of sunlight on those issues too. Have you seen the graph of the 20,000,000 Democrats who were in the 2020 data, but not in the 2016 or 2024? Did Biden really get more votes than Obama? When and if Trump gets some of the "cancelled" science professors--biology, medicine, virology, etc.--back on the job and in the CDC and FDA, let's hope we never again let "public health departments and politicians" take away our freedom of religion and right to speak or have opinions.

The new meme that even Don Jr. is espousing is that losing in 2020 was a good thing because he would have been continually harassed and blocked, and now he will have a much stronger team, more knowledge about who he can trust, the backing of his party (which has also been changed) and the Senate (and we hope the House) to get his appointments through to make substantive changes. Of course, he'll never have the media, academe or Hollywood, but that's not a bad thing as the new media is drawing millions away to new sources.

We'll see. Most of us won't be here for the next one, or will be too befuddled to care.

And I'm still a one-issue voter--still voting for the babies. Join me!

Honestly, Bari?

Today I turned off one of my favorite podcasts, "Honestly" with Bari Weiss. She was "cancelled" (aka fired) by NYT and started a very successful news service, "The Free Press." She began her analysis of the Trump sweep and comeback by stating, not opining, that Trump was the most flawed candidate in our history, and said it again in slightly different terms before she got to her first guest, a trans woman, Brianna Wu.

In the introduction Bari stated, in my opinion, many errors about the 2020 election. She didn't even use the journalistic weasel words like "allegedly" or "it is said." And then she reminded the audience, with no doubt in her voice, about the completely phony impeachments, the lawfare cases brought by Soros funded goons, and the dreamed up sexual assaults.

 
Then Brianna, one of the 3 guests, begins listing his fears about attacks on Trans people that Republicans funded in their pro-Trump ads. Whoa! The only ads I saw were about the sexual mutilation of children, cross sex hormones for adolescents and men in women's locker rooms. If Brianna who is an adult wants to pretend to be a woman that's his business, but he should at least have the concerns that women have. Women are safer in a Trump presidency.

 
So, I switched to Will Cain's podcast. He was interviewing a Jewish Lebanese Canadian immigrant, Dr. Gad Saad, who is thrilled that Trump is president and has his own evaluation of the Trump victory, who is at fault and how it will affect Canadian and U.S. citizens.

IT'S ALL OVER! How Trump won the Presidency | Will Cain Show

Why the Left is worried about Trump

Here's a list of what Kamala and the Democrats call a threat to democracy from a fascist, i.e., anyone who tells the truth about the Democrat party. Compiled and posted by Dr. Anna Loska Meenan, one of the smartest women I know.

"Here is a list of the things President Trump accomplished in his 1st term:
Energy independence
Border security
Judicial appointments of constitutionalists
Got NATO countries to increase their payments
Best economic progress for Blacks in 50 years
Freedom from Obamacare mandate
African-American unemployment lowest rate ever recorded.
Hispanic-American unemployment lowest rate ever recorded.
Asian-American unemployment lowest rate ever recorded.
Women’s unemployment the lowest rate in 65 years.
Record low unemployment for veterans
Unemployment down to 3.5% (it’s 4.1% now)
4 million off food stamps
Record-low poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans
African-American home ownership increased
Invested $1.3 billion to bring internet to rural America
Dow record high above 30K
Doubled standard deduction
Doubled child tax credit
Biggest tax cuts and reforms in our history
Net natural gas exporter
Right to try medical procedure
Rebuilt the military
Got us out of the Iran nuclear deal
Hospitals to disclose costs
Animal cruelty a felony
Transparency and Competition for insurance companies
Bringing American companies home
Reductions of regulations strangling businesses—eliminated 8 for every one imposed
Reduced approval times for major infrastructure projects to 2 years or less
Eliminated ”Waters of the United States” rule
Replaced NAFTA with the USMCA
Ended Japan’s ban on importing American potatoes and lamb
Renegotiated the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement
Imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods
Imposed tariffs on foreign aluminum and steel
Eliminated China’s ban on importing American pork
Signed the Women Peace and Security Act
Launched the American AI Initiative
Abraham Accords
Criminal justice reform
Record funding for historically black colleges
9,000 Opportunity Zones
Middle class income increased almost $6K
No new wars
In the spirit of fairness, I invite any Kamala supporters to post the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration."

Harris' concession speech

Kamala Harris gave a stirring and passionate concession speech today saying she would continue to fight for our democracy--for her principles--open borders, packing the court, gun confiscation, arresting people who use their first amendment rights like religion and speech, promising inflationary policies like price controls and government give aways to some home buyers, funding foreign wars, and destroying the unborn while our birth rate plummets. And the people cheered.

Message from Frank Pavone on the pro-life movement

 Priests for Life National Director Frank Pavone issued the following statement on the morning after the 2024 elections:

“The pro-life movement, and America herself, have been given a reprieve from the onslaught of a Democrat regime that would have tried to erase every protection for unborn children across America, and to take away the very tools we need to protect them. But another term of President Trump will strengthen our freedom of speech, of religion and of protest, and will set free the peaceful prolife prisoners. Moreover, with Republicans reclaiming the US Senate, we can look forward to hundreds of new pro-life judges who will serve in the federal courts for decades to come.

“As for the abortion ballot measures, six of the 10 that were voted on will go into effect: AZ, CO, MD, MO, MT, and NY. In Nevada, a second vote in the 2026 elections is required for passage. In FL, SD and NE the pro-life movement defeated the radical pro-abortion amendments, and secured an amendment in NE protecting babies in the second and third trimesters. In the states where these amendments passed, we will immediately begin the work of repealing them.

“Priests for Life worked intensely with all 10 states that had these ballot measures, including our home state of Florida. We convened meetings of the state and national pro-life leaders to maximize collaboration.

“Moreover, we are proud of our nationwide voter education and mobilization project, headquartered at ProLifeVote.com. The comeback of Donald J. Trump, the most pro-life president ever, is a moment in history that we are privileged to live through.”

“Now it is crucially important to continue our prayers and outspoken advocacy for President Trump, because his enemies will try to do everything possible to interfere with the next two phases of this transition, namely, the vote of the electors and the certification by Congress. His victory in the popular vote takes away a key tool that the Democrats would have used to undermine this election. So let us all be loud and clear and vigilant in our support over these next three months.”
 

Former Illinois governor spills the beans on Democrats, Rod Blagojevich talks to Tucker

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a lifelong Democrat, did eight years in federal prison. By the time he got out in 2020, his party had gone completely insane. He’s now all in for Donald Trump.

https://youtu.be/NDP6St8p7dk?si=ktawKifNh07kvW4m

Election prayer in our church newsletter

This prayer appeared in our church newsletter.

"Almighty God, we pray for peace on this upcoming Election Day. Protect our polling places and election workers, and make them places and people of peace.

We pray that the voting process will be straightforward, safe, and fair for everyone.

We pray, God, that you would bless each candidate with wisdom and grace as they seek positions of power and authority. Grant our leaders humble and virtuous hearts. We pray for our nation. May we come together for the common good and do as you require - to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen."

OK. It's nice. Who couldn't pray that--either party, even the non-voters, even immigrants and foreigners, tourists and children. But. . . here's the thing. Jesus is coming back--he said so. He described it in the words of Matthew 25. Scary stuff for a voter. He will come in his glory, and all the angels with him . . . now that's something to see! And it just doesn't sound like a Kum by ya (come by here) moment. All the nations will be gathered and Jesus is going to separate the sheep from the goats with the blessed inheriting the kingdom that has been prepared from the foundation of the world (see Genesis for details). 

Then the shocker. Jesus says "Come" to those who have already been hanging out with him--even without knowing it--those who gave him food, water, clothing and welcomed him!

 
That's where I'm finding welcoming the unborn and caring for them in the Bible if your church tradition says abortion isn't addressed in the Bible. I think it's clear. There's no one more vulnerable and helpless and in need of a visit from a friend than those in the womb. The King of the Universe accompanied by the hosts of heaven came as a humble, naked, hungry baby, he came as your neighbor, so why would you the voter deny him for a political ideology of a woman's right to choose?

 
National elections come around every 4 years. I may not be here for the next one, and it's quite possible this issue won't be either. Another 4 years of abortion on demand and to term and beyond and this nation may culturally and morally be a very different place. This may be my last chance to be visiting with Jesus and the angels before he comes back.

John Wesley's advice on voting

Wesley had three points to keep in mind, which he recorded in his journal from October 6, 1774. He wrote:

“I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them,
1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy:
2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against: And,
3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side."

from https://juicyecumenism.com/2018/11/06/john-wesley-voting-american-politics/? and the Church News of Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren, October 27, 2024.