The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17:5–6
If we desire to grow in faith, the first step is humility by acknowledging our lack of faith before the Lord. We must come to Him in prayer, asking sincerely for an increase of faith and humbling ourselves by confessing our lack of faith. When we do this, our Lord responds with grace. God strengthens our faith, uproots sin and evil, and plants our souls in places where we are nourished and renewed in ways we never thought possible.
I have two themes running in today’s post. Number 1: if you elect stupid ideologues, you can expect stupid ideology driven results. Number 2: If you support individuals with good old common sense, then you can expect results that echo common sense.
1. The Marxist Democratic Party now owns the current government shutdown.
2. Des Moines, Iowa is Iowa’s largest city and has the state’s largest school district. Although the state is often considered a conservative bastion, it is not. Marxists have been on the move for decades and own the educational establishment. The scandal going on with the Des Moines, Iowa School District is as follows. Last week, ICE arrested the now former superintendent of the district, Dr. Ian Roberts. Agents found a hunting knife, loaded hand gun, and $3,000 cash in Dr. Roberts vehicle after a chase. Dr. Roberts was born in Guyana, South America and last entered the U.S. legally in 1999 on a student visa. Dr. Roberts has not had a valid work authorization since 2020. In May 2024, Dr. Roberts was a no show for his final immigration hearing and a deportation order was handed down. In 2023, the Des Moines School District put out a nationwide search for a superintendent. Dr. Roberts was hired and obtained a license for the job from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners before his July 2023 start date. Currently, the entertainment is in watching everybody point the finger at everyone else for failure to vet Dr. Roberts properly. The Chair of the Des Moines School Board, Jackie Norris, who is running on the Democratic Ticket for an Iowa U.S. Senate seat next year, has been out and about asking the public to tone down the rhetoric while bloviating about radical empathy and restorative justice. Jackie is a true Woketopia warrior. Additionally, illegal alien Dr. Ian Roberts has been a registered Democratic voter in the State of Maryland since 2012. Didn’t Democrats tell us illegal aliens never vote in federal U.S. elections? Yet again, another conspiracy theory has been proven true.
3. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth rocks. He gathered his top dogs together in D.C. this week and told them how things are. Common sense rules the military. There is now ONE standard for combat readiness and the standard applies equally to everyone. If a woman can perform the physical duties required for combat readiness, then she is one of the team. If she cannot, then she will be reassigned. It’s as simple as that.
4. Gotta love the State of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State Police partnered with ICE last month conducing an Operation Guardian sweep along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma. More than 120 illegal aliens were caught driving 18 wheelers with CDL’s issued by sanctuary states. The State of New York managed to issue a CDL with “no name given” inscribed on the line where a name should have appeared.
Update to Monday’s post – Senator Dick Durbin has declined to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Cardinal Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago at a November fundraising event. The award was causing consternation among both Catholic priests and laity as Senator Durbin is an ardent supporter of abortion. p2d
3. And now for an “are you yanking my chain?” moment involving the Catholic Church. Cardinal Blasé Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that Illinois Senator Dick Durbin will be the recipient of a life time achievement award for his immigration advocacy at a November fundraiser for the archdiocese’s immigration ministry. Oh, I could go on, and on, and on about Catholic Charities’ role in immigration and human trafficking, but today’s discussion is about abortion. Dick Durbin is a professed Catholic, yet he has NOT used his political perch to advocate for the sanctity of life. Senator Durbin’s voting record is 100% pro-choice/pro-abortion. The Catholic Church is exceptionally clear on its stance on abortion and on the rules for what excludes someone from “good deeds” public recognition. It appears that if you reach U.S. national political status as a U.S. Senator, the rules do not apply to you. Several priests in the U.S. Catholic Church’s hierarchy have voiced their displeasure at Durbin being publicly honored because of his pro-abortion stance and have asked Cardinal Cupich to prayerfully reconsider his decision. I believe that those who hold public office should be held to a higher, not lesser, standard as they serve as role models for the general public. What is the message that Cardinal Cupich is conveying to his flock? Would be curious to know if Pope Leo has an opinion.
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.” Luke 16:19–22
What type of life do you choose? A life of simplicity or a life of riches? A life of riches can impose upon you a life of temptation towards sefishness and indiffernce to the needs of others, which can lead to your demise. If you have many material possessions strive to be detached from them. Live simply and be generous to those in need. If you have very little do not covet more or be envious of others but trust in the providence of God that you are able to build up eternal riches within your soul.
1. It was pure joy for this old dog to watch Trump drop a Truth bomb on the U.N. General Assembly. For decades, I have been scratching my fleas while wondering why we still maintain membership in this feckless organization. The U.N. occupies prime real estate along the East River in midtown Manhattan. It is time to put the property to better use. I am sure the escalator, teleprompter, and microphone incidents were just cowinkiedinks.
4. Living in Columbus, Ohio, I did not have the pleasure of watching Jimmy Kimmel at 11:35 p.m. Tuesday night. Sinclair Broadcasting is responsible for airing ABC, Fox, and The CW in Columbus. Sinclair and Nexstar have not put Jimmy back in their lineup… yet. This is not a free speech issue. This is a market issue. Follow the money. Columbus, Ohio is not nearly as left leaning as NYC or Commiefornia. Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings were in the toilet before he let his politics descend him into the depths of extreme pride and stupidity. I expect nothing less than what Jimmy Kimmel said from a public Libtard who plies his trade on ABC, NBC, CBS, or PBS. However; I do hold Fox to a higher standard. If Jimmy Kimmel were ever to rear his ugly head on ABC in Columbus, Ohio again, then I would be inclined not to watch much of what’s on channel 28 (Fox) nor support Sinclair’s advertising money stream.
The Charlie Kirk memorial on Sunday was inspiring. Only God could have pulled off such an event that included the U.S. President, U.S. Vice President, and members of the President’s Cabinet. For over six hours, the event was Christ centered and the King of kings and Lord of lords was honored and praised. I could have never imagined I would have ever witnessed an Altar Call at a large public gathering where high ranking politicians were on the event schedule. Erika Kirk forgiving the young man who murdered her husband was the Holy Spirit on the move showing us how we should be living our lives. We have been commanded to love and forgive others. Love and forgiveness are not for the benefit of others but a gift from God that allows us to unburden our hearts so that we can surrender ourselves completely to God. Love and forgiveness are not about justice. Justice will be served by God and the State of Utah.
