Furious Love

So I am taking Cthulhu’s advice & working up a draft post that has been pending for a while to use for one of my fill-in posts for DP while she is tending to the needs of her family in this challenging time. Please keep DP & her family in your prayers…and as Duchess reminds us daily, please pray for one another…

This post was originally begun as a reflection on our journey as my husband transitioned from purchasing, which he had done for more than 20 years, into truck driving. It was intended as a reflection on the past year but through procrastination now is from slightly more than a year & a half since jumping with both feet into that transitional time.

Note: if you don’t care to read what is a personal testimonial, please just scroll down to the next time you see the below page divider. Thanks for stopping by!

Some of you may recall that I was asking for prayer as this journey unfolded, when my husband precipitously decided to leave his long-time company, just months after getting a 25 year “award”, to go to trucking school. What was billed as typically a 6 week process in our particular case dragged on for more than 3 months in the schooling portion before the job search could officially begin. There were many ups & downs & significant frustrations as the system, including the state entities, conspired to keep my husband, & our household, in a seemingly ceaseless state of flux.

During this season of upheaval, uncertainty, & frustration there were a number of songs that really ministered to my husband & helped him hold on through all the changes. Some of these songs even ended up being part of the worship sets that Michael played as he continued to faithfully minister musically at church and have one area in his lifestyle that remained relatively unchanged. This post’s title, “Furious Love”, grew out of a reflection on some of the music that ministered to him during this very challenging time 🙂

The video below, being filmed near Michael’s birth-zone, is personally moving to him…

During transitions, upheaval, & uncertainty focusing on the Lord, His peace that passes understanding, His provision, & His comfort were keys to overcoming the obstacles…

God did provide for us in sometimes miraculous & very timely ways over the many months we were without direct income. A number of times God spontaneously moved on the hearts of people to give us money, just when we really needed it, & had mentioned it to no one but the Lord. It was scary, exciting, and even strangely serene to be in a place where God alone was the source of our supply & there was sometimes a sense of wonder and definitely a pervasive deep gratitude when He would come through Just In Time for our material needs, especially as He also continued to address those needs we both faced in emotional and spiritual arenas.

This next song has been ministering to my husband for quite a while, especially in relation to work upheavals. Years back Michael made a lateral move within his company to a different site & returned to purchasing after a few years as Shipping Manager at the company’s corporate headquarters. One motivation for this change was to get out from under the boot of a VP who was his direct boss while over shipping. For a season it was like M had been exodused out of Egypt and he really enjoyed his new boss & some of the perks of the location. Well, tragically M’s new boss had a massive heart attack at work & went home to be with his Lord. This unexpected vacancy in the company ended up being filled by the very VP M had rejoiced to previously escape from. The stress, sorrow, & intensity were overwhelming & Michael ended up playing this song on his way to work nearly daily as a way to shore himself up in the Lord.

It turns out that TobyMac, Toby McKeehan of DC Talk fame, wrote this song & filmed this video shortly before unimaginable tragedy struck in his own family. His son died unexpectedly & Toby’s music & faith was a huge part of what helped him get though that unbelievably painful season, as he shared in the clip below the music video…It is such a tremendous blessing to us all when others allow their pain & heartache to be molded in the Potter’s hands & used to minister to the needs of others–To God be The Glory!

One of Michael’s favorite songs & music videos, featuring wolves in an unflattering light
TobyMac shares about losing his son & God’s comfort

There are many uplifting and heartfelt comments at the above video, including:

@cece8095

1 year ago (edited)The fact that He said “God is kind” is nothing but the Holy Spirit. Human beings alone cannot do that by themselves after something like the loss of a child. Toby is a man of God, he is. And when you walk with God & you give your life to Him & things go terribly south in your life.. there’s gonna be many moments when you’re gonna be able to look at God and say, “You are still good.” God’s comfort is like no other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFwrsv0bdrI&lc=UgxmSUcrIWGtHeDRve94AaABAg

Details on TobyMac can also be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TobyMac

Getting back to our personal journey, Michael has mentioned a number of times how instrumental I was in helping him through some of the darkest days of his transition into trucking. He has wrestled significantly with areas of change in his life (don’t we all) & God has enabled me to really be a stabilizing influence for him, & our kids, in times of major upheaval. [At one point I was doing quite a bit of work on PTSD issues & began a blog as a repository of both the researches & the reflections–something I can return to and further develop as the seasons of life permit.] He has said that he thinks of this movie scene as a good representation of the way he sees certain of my interventions in his life…

This next song has spoken to me for many years especially in the “desert place”, the “wilderness”, & “the road marked with suffering”. The pounding of the special needs parenting situations created Many Times when the message of this music was so very relevant. Years ago our young assistant pastor & his wife were expecting their first child, who tragically died in utero just before her due date. They played this song at their daughter’s memorial service & I will always associate it with that loss laid on the Altar.

Although none of us will ever suffer to the degree that Job endured in scripture it is a beautiful thing to take the sufferings & hardships in our lives and pour them out like drink offerings to our Lord, allowing Him to transform them into beauty in His Kingdom.

This next song has been one that’s ministered to me over the years in times of heartache, stress, & loss; bringing key scriptural truth alive musically. Though perhaps a bit dated now the album from where I first heard it, Integrity Hosanna Music’s “My Refuge”, helped me through many dark days, broken engagements, & even deaths in the family. There is something so healing to the wounds of the soul in making the Choice to praise the Lord when it truly is a Sacrifice of praise. He is Always Worthy & focusing on Him in adoration during seasons of suffering can actually be a mechanism that He uses to ease our pain.

So now in hindsight, the journey to a stable trucking job was pretty interesting & challenging. In the natural world my husband worked for 3 different companies, one for days, one for weeks, & one for months, before landing his current job, which he’ll have been at for a year next month. The variety of work he encountered: fuel delivery, bottled gas delivery, & over-the-road training, plus gravel hauling exposure during an interview process for a job he didn’t accept, have served to make him especially thankful for the job where he landed. He is doing a daily route making local/regional deliveries for a large distribution center mostly associated with the heating & cooling industry.

He is often in the position of driving a B truck for A truck wages, which is an ideal scenario according to one of his truck-driving school instructors. His boss and co-workers are pleasant to work with, which hasn’t always been the case in his career trajectory. His job-related stress is Way down. Overall he is much happier at this job, is now in better shape physically, & is mostly adjusted to the Very Early weekly schedule this position requires–he wakes up at 3 am, leaves at 3:30 am, & starts his shift at 4:30 am.

He managed to pursue a number of hiking and backpacking adventures with some friends during this transitional time including 2 separate 55 mile hikes along Lake Superior’s Pictured Rocks lakeshore. We just returned home from his most recent backpacking trip last weekend! This major hike revealed to him how much better he’s doing physically since the same hike last year. He hasn’t had lingering pain nor fatigue, so even though he’s a year older it’s like his body is younger now than it’s been in years!

Pictured Rocks Lakeshore

Also I can thankfully report that just this weekend we discovered that he is apparently healed of what appeared to be a gluten allergy. I asked for help here at the Q-Tree in identifying what might have been going on with him physically after he had a sudden onset of troubling digestive symptoms following a weekend back-packing trip. Several of you suggested it could have been “Beaver Fever” or giardia, but Michael was convinced he had sudden onset gluten sensitivity. Regardless, whatever the condition was–& it caused him significant problems & missed work a number of times in the early months–it now appears to be healed or resolved. We even had an experimental pizza dinner at a favorite local restaurant to test his digestive status, without issue Finally. I am so thankful that Michael can now be liberated dietarily, though he plans to continue a number of his healthier eating habits going forward since there have been benefits to some of these changes. I cannot emphasize how much this represents a weight lifted from his shoulders! PTL…again!

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

We’ve also mostly adjusted to the many family changes that occurred in this transitional time. All of our kids also faced significant changes while Michael was going through his lengthy transition. Our oldest son & daughter-in-law became parents for the first time just a few months after Michael made his huge leap. They are actually now expecting another baby in a few more months! In addition Nathaniel has joined Michael in the creation of a new band that just recently started practicing in our home. They haven’t worked together musically before so this really is a new & exciting adventure for them & the guys that are rounding out the band. I am thankful to have band practice in our home for the first time after more than 2 decades of musical endeavors on my husband’s part.

Nathaniel recorded this cover for a contest, which is when we discovered that he has such singing talent…

Another aspect of family transition involves our middle son Brandon, who had been working as a hydraulics technician at Michael’s old company & ended up leaving some months after M did. This son had gone through Fire Academy while still a full time employee & was making efforts to change his career to that of a Fire Fighter. He ended up being hired on by the City of Detroit & is now almost done w/ his 6 month EMT training phase & about to begin Fire Fighting training for the city next month. Like my husband, each time he is facing a time of transition it becomes quite overwhelming. We are available to shore him up as needed, & to give him an outlet to process some of the crazy situations he’s encountered working for & in Detroit…He is in joyful pursuit of a lifelong dream!

Seeing our special needs son Josiah marry & move-out & then return to live with us part time, at a time when we were also having a dear friend stay with us for almost half a year as he was dealing with his own life’s upheaval, was a Very Challenging addition to the ongoing chaos. Helping Josiah with his marital upheaval was a very demanding & emotionally draining strain on both Michael & I but was also used in God’s economy to model marital reconciliation strategies for our friend who was reeling from his own marital trauma. Because of Josiah’s autism this very personal journey was lived out very directly in an unmasked manner before our friend, overlapping the majority of his stay with us.

Finally our daughter & son-in-law went through the dual changes of becoming parents & moving into their own home almost simultaneously. Thankfully by the time This baby was born Michael was settled into his new job so that we had steady income & the familiarity with the new schedule & lifestyle for me to be able to help Clarissa in the birth process while Michael & her brothers helped her husband in moving their belongings from his dad’s house to their new home while C & the baby were still in the hospital. They have not done all that must be done to have their home fully functional yet, so periodically Clarissa will come by to use aspects of our kitchen in the creation of some of her culinary masterpieces.

We are blessed to have our youngest & oldest kids & their spouses & kids live in our neighborhood now. Our youngest son alternates between living with us & living a couple miles away in our city with his wife & her multi-cultural & partially disabled family. Our middle son has been stopping by regularly, especially on Sundays, to have some dedicated family time. In fact he just left our home after doing “gear day light” with my husband as they are preparing for an upcoming bow-hunting trip next weekend.

Life is good, relatively stable now, & abundant in a number of ways–Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow I’ll try a post that is more current events focused. Today I hope our Q-Tree family will be happy to bring the links & the insights in our typical treehouse fashion.

If you need leads for where to find such material, please consider checking out some of the sites WolfMoon has suggested in this post:

I enjoy perusing Whatfinger.com for links among many other sites 🙂

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Thanks for stopping by. May the Lord guide, direct, protect, & bless us as we all keep fighting the good fight in our individual lives, our families, our communities, our nation, & our world! God Bless YOU!

In Jesus’ Love, Valerie

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Deplorable Patriot

Good morning,

I take it this is the daily for today.

At about 1:30 this morning, my mother went to God. As per her family tradition, she waited until she was alone to do so. Both of her parents went that way, as well as a number of other relatives.

Thank you so much to all who have been doing the dailies. I anticipate being back for the Wednesday post next week. There are so many things we are in the middle of doing.

Please, pray for my sister who is exhausted. My dad is going to be lost.

Thanks for being here for us and praying.

DePat

kalbokalbs

Prayers for you and family.

TradeBait2

🙏

Be well and at peace, DePat.

pat frederick

Morning DePat
my deepest condolences
i hope there will be time to rest, regroup and celebrate your mother’s life and love for you all.
find peace

PAVACA

DePat
Thank you for sharing this news with us all here. My deepest condolences to you and your family. May the Almighty God send Deep Comfort and Peace to all of you.

Aubergine

Praying for you and your family to find peace. I know how devastating it is to lose your Mom. And I feel so for your Dad. If is so hard to lose a spouse.

I’m sure your mother was focused purely on the road home when she went. Looking straight up at Jesus.

Brave and Free

So sorry 🙏

para59r

Trust you’ll stay focused and looks forward to the return of your daily post as it rivals anything out there. Your mom is in the best of hands now. Prayers your sister and dad.

phoenixrising

Thinking of you, and praying for you and your family…

You all have each other and your strong faith… (((DePat)))

Into your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our sister Linda. In this life you embraced her with your tender love; deliver her now from every evil and bid her enter eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome her then into paradise, through Christ our Lord. Amen

pat frederick

Amen

Linda

Continued prayers for you and your family, DePat, and condolences at the loss of your mom. I would imagine that you’re as exhausted as your sister. Please take some time for yourself. I know we all miss you, but you don’t need to rush back before you’re ready.

Alison

Peace for your Mom 🙏 a bit of respite for you and your siblings 🙏 and prayers for your Father who has lost his mate 🙏 So many of us have been in your shoes, DPat ; I encourage you to look after your own health and know that in time, all the decisions and tasks will get done. In retrospect, no task or decision was as urgent as taking time to grieve and recover. May God be with you all.

barkerjim

Our condolences and prayers for you and your family!! God bless all of you!

gil00

Im very sorry. The best is you had some time to prepare and begin grieving. I hope you and your family find comfort and peace in thecoming weeks.

Gail Combs

I am sorry to hear your Mom has past but at least she, you and the family did not have to hang in limbo for weeks.

Stay safe and Rest as you can. Prayers for you and your family.

cthulhu

A piece of advice from an accountant….

Death certificates are very inexpensive if you get them immediately, and not cheap if you have to get some later. Get a whole bunch. Everybody (banks, credit card issuers, insurance carriers, real estate title agents, government taxing authorities) and their second cousins will want a copy. Get as many as you think will be necessary, then get a whole bunch more.

Deplorable Patriot

Thank you. That’s all in the works.

EllieLA

I’m so very sorry, DePat! God Bless you and your family and your wonderful mother in Heaven!

scott467

You and your family remain in my prayers, DePat.

sylviaavery

DePat,

My heart breaks for you. Continued prayers for you and your family.

For reasons unknown, I can no longer log into The Q Tree, so I don’t know if this
comment will even publish.

Love, Sylvia Avery

pgroup2

You could always do what I did – add a 2 after your name and create a new account. Everybody knows there could only be one sylviaavery plus there’s the shovel [unique to you 😆 ].

 😍 

Last edited 1 year ago by pgroup2
Kea

DePat

Our deepest condolences.

You and your family are in our thoughts and Prayers.

(I don’t know if this will post or not since I’ve always had issues with the site)

Wolf Moon | Threat to Demonocracy

I had to let it out of the bin. You can try another!

Wolf Moon | Threat to Demonocracy

Come back when you’re ready – take your time as needed!

We’ll be here and praying! 🙏

Sadie Slays

I’m sorry for your loss. Please give yourself some much-deserved rest before diving back into the fight. Praying for you and your family.

cthulhu

Many of us look forward to Sadie’s visits.

pgroup2

Hello. Is it Taco Tuesday anywhere?

cthulhu
Gail Combs

An old favorite of mine. THANKQ!

TheseTruths

Fred Astaire, 25-second clip. For some reason, YouTube doesn’t have the entire original.

Gail Combs

AHHHhhhh they just do not make movies like those any more.

  :wpds_smile: 

Cuppa Covfefe

Will this do? 🙂

piper567

Truths…Thanks for this…What a genius! Astaire w his nearly supernatural body/mind coordination! Such a joy to watch him!

TradeBait2

My oldest grandson’s favorite day and meal at the local Mexican food diner.

Gail Combs

Tostadas….

We used to have to travel to get these but now a new restaurant in town carries them.

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gil00

Sounds good. Traditional, new mexican, or tex mex?

pgroup2

In the land of the free, there are many types of tacos.

gil00

Indeed! And i appreciate that!
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Cuppa Covfefe

And you can be the taco the town 🙂  🌮 

pgroup2

[groan]

TheseTruths

Thank you for posting this, Valerie. I haven’t had a chance to read it all yet, but I appreciate your efforts!

TheseTruths

And to you! 😊

Wolf Moon | Threat to Demonocracy

Thank you for this substitute post! Enjoying the cornucopia of diverse parts, including Mission Impossible! 😃

TheseTruths

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Wolf Moon | Threat to Demonocracy

Nancy Pelosi did it best!

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

She pulled a fire alarm?

TheseTruths

She promoted The Great Reset.

itswoot

Hillary was also into the reset thing.

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itswoot

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pgroup2

Did anybody else notice that Lavrov used his middle finger to ‘push’ the button?

Last edited 1 year ago by pgroup2
itswoot

Good catch. I doubt if Hillary was made aware of it until after the fact.

prognosticatasaurusrex

Afternoon Wolf. I was just doing my usual reading, and I think i have come up with a way to turn both Ukraine and the green imitative against the Cabal.

All it will take is ONE honest person to simply ask this. “Since the Biden administration is so set in on climate change, and have declared it the greatest threat to humanity, I was wondering what there thoughts on sending hundreds of billions of dollars worth of munitions and weapons to Ukraine. Money that could be better be spent of fighting climate change. Also I would like their thoughts on what kind of green house gas impact thousands of tons worth of high explosive, and millions of rounds of exploded ordinance and ammunition have on the environment?

See, WE know the answers. THEY cannot answer. It would highlight their own duplicitous actions. They CANNOT have it both ways. IF green house gases are SOOOOOO bad for the environment, how do they justify sending so much ordinance to Ukraine, ordinance that has FAR more greenhouse gas emissions (and carbon) released than a gas stove or car produces.

Time to use their own hypocrisy against them. Oh and i know they will simply blame Russia. The premise STILL stands.

pgroup2

P-rex, you never cease to amaze me.

prognosticatasaurusrex

In a good or bad way LOL

rayzorback

Good way IMHO

cthulhu

Thank you, Valerie, for a beautiful retrospective of the recent challenges and successes in your family, with musical accompaniment!

And thank you, also, for helping our little community here keep going, while we worry for our dear DePat.

cthulhu

While DePat’s away, the nice will play…..

TheseTruths

It’s official: Gaetz to force vote on McCarthy’s speakership

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Monday night filed a formal motion to eject the speaker, a maneuver last attempted in 1910 and never successfully completed. The House must act by Wednesday on the matter — and while McCarthy may yet survive depending on how Democrats vote, even a failed challenge to his speakership weakens him going forward.

It’s far from clear that Gaetz has the votes to depose McCarthy, as the Floridian himself acknowledged to reporters after making his move. Only three colleagues, Reps. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Bob Good (R-Va.), are openly supportive of his effort. But a handful of other House Republicans frustrated with the speaker are seen as persuadable on the matter of his future.

Among those potential GOP swing votes: Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Dan Bishop (R-N.C.).

“I have enough Republicans where at this point next week one of two things will happen: Kevin McCarthy won’t be the speaker of the House or he’ll be the speaker of the House serving at the pleasure of Democrats,” Gaetz said, referring to the near-certain likelihood that Democratic votes will be required in order to keep McCarthy’s hold on the top gavel.

…Several leading conservatives, including influential players in the hard-right Freedom Caucus, are either openly against Gaetz’s ouster push or leaning that way. On the high-profile Rules Committe, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is publicly against booting McCarthy, while Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) suggested on Monday that he was dubious.

“We’ve got so many important things to do. To divert all the attention on that — I think the American people don’t care who is speaker,” Norman said. He added that he had hoped Gaetz would “hold off” on his push in order to give Republicans more time to pass spending bills that the Senate is certain to reject.

Another Freedom Caucus member and occasional Gaetz rival, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), also indicated skepticism: “I just don’t think we should be engaging in that at all right now,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do.”

Give me a break!

After a lively meeting late Monday night, it appeared that a majority of Freedom Caucus members oppose Gaetz’s ouster effort, according to multiple people who spoke on condition of anonymity about their knowledge of the private discussions.

While a smaller cohort within the conservative bloc made clear that they disagreed, the general consensus within the roughly 35-member group was that the time isn’t right to go after the speaker — and that doing so would distract from their mission of pushing the party to the right on policy.

“Nobody thinks this is the right time to pull the trigger,” said one conservative lawmaker, who warned that supporting Gaetz’s move would look like a “personal vendetta.”

Looks like excuse-making to me. The time to oust the Speaker is right after he has reneged on his promises.

TheseTruths

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TheseTruths

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kalbokalbs

Bring it on.

Spoken like a Bushie.

TheseTruths

Video of this historic moment on the House floor:

Matt Gaetz drops the hammer:

“I rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the House. Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be Vacant.”

TheseTruths

YW!

scott467

“It’s hard for me to understand why RealPOTUS wanted McCarthy, a seeming perpetual swamp rat, in the Speakership At All!!!”

____________

Hopefully he communicated his reason to Gaetz.

Either he did, and Gaetz is doing what he’s supposed to do now, or he didn’t, in which case who knows what’s going on, or why, or when it will end, or won’t end, or whatever 😂

Gail Combs

BB & Kyle discussed this on Defected. They think it is for the purpose of EDUCATING Americans on how the ‘sausage’ is actually made. Remember McCarthy made a backroom deal with the DemonRats for a 45-day temporary funding measure that excludes border security and $6 billion in funding for Ukraine.

Yet a $5 billion request FOR OUR SECURITY (border wall) by POTUS Trump WAS TURNED DOWN!!!

02/09/20

…The Trump administration plans to ask for $2 billion in new border wall construction funding, senior administration officials confirmed.

The White House will officially release its budget proposal Monday. 

The $2 billion request is far less than the amount the White House sought for border wall funding last year, when the 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡 𝕒𝕕𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 $𝟝 𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕝 on top of $3.6 billion to replenish funding for military construction projects the administration shifted for border wall construction…

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/482240-trump-to-ask-for-2b-for-border-wall-report/

DEFECTED:
fourteen MINUTES

Somewhere in there is an McCarthy interview where he complains about the border and Fentenyl killing Americans

@ 32:45 Matt Gaetz TELLS YOU this

“No I actually think the Democrats are gonna bail out McCarthy — THIS IS AN EXERCISE TO SHOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO REALLY GOVERNS YOU & HOW THAT GOVERNING OCCURS.”

https://rumble.com/v3m9zh6-defected-ep-42-sun-900pm-et-.html

If you have the time it is worth watching and seeing the clips they have to back up their ideas.

Last edited 1 year ago by Gail Combs
kalbokalbs

Swamp will survive. Perhaps mutate some. Though not for the better.

TradeBait2

It is all a scam. Maybe folks will eventually realize the theater versus the back room dealing that happened well before the play/movie began.

scott467

“Nobody thinks this is the right time to pull the trigger,” said one conservative lawmaker, who warned that supporting Gaetz’s move would look like a “personal vendetta.”

______________

Nobody EVER thinks it’s the right time to pull the trigger.

It could be the year 2525, the same people would still be in office, earth could be a smoking ruin, and these corruption professionals would be saying “nobody thinks this is the right time to pull the trigger”.

Someone ought to pull the trigger on them.

That time for that is always right.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

Remember how it was NEVER time to arrest a bunch of SOBs.

it would interfere with an election. It’d be tacky because some politically important pile of shit had just died. You name it.

And nothing got done in four years.

Brave and Free

Exactly! “It’s never the right time” is their go to answer for everything concerning ACCOUNTABILITY.

pat frederick

except the dems didn’t have a problem “pulling the trigger” to arrest people before an election.

Gail Combs

“….He added that he had hoped Gaetz would “hold off” on his push in order to give Republicans more time to pass spending bills that the Senate is certain to reject….”

AHHHhhh, but this is EXACTLY the correct time to ‘PULL THE FIRE ALARM ‘ 😜 and short circuit Congress.

pat frederick

you’re so right. the let’s-wait-till-the-speaker-gives-the-left-all-the-stuff-it-wants-in-the-spending-bills-so-we-have-nothing-left-to-fight-for-or-use-as-leverage strategy is ASININE!

if you think he will give the freedom caucus anything it wants now that the dems are on board with keeping him as speaker for his continuing to play ball? you’re an idiot.

the right is weak, weak, weak!!!!

TheseTruths

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pgroup2

It makes sense that the teleprompter is absent but where’s the fly?

TheseTruths

Missing in action! No bags of cash either, but that makes sense since they’re walking in the woods.

para59r

But Mendez is holding two bars of gold 😁

Linda

It’s right under his sippy cup.

TheseTruths

I’m not sure that that’s the fly. It usually has a little trail of dots showing its trail of flight, like this:

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But I don’t know…

Brave and Free

Maybe he hasn’t 💩 his pants yet.

Alison

Thank you for pitching in, Valerie! I enjoy family snippets, memories and anecdotes that help us know online friends and acquaintances a bit better. I’m glad your family has made it over some tough hurdles, and how nice for you to have some of your children nearby.

God is always present, and we are very very blessed to share His Grace.

Wolf Moon | Threat to Demonocracy

Just a short note on authors this week.

Monday – Wolf
Tuesday – Valerie
Wednesday – Valerie
Thursday – Aubergine
Friday – PAVACA
Saturday – Steve
Sunday – Carl

PAVACA is a new author – it may take a few days to get things squared away.

cthulhu

APPLAUSE!!!

APPLAUSE!!!

Great thanks in advance for all authors stepping up to keep things going! It is much appreciated!!

Aubergine

You should wait until you read (or scroll) my post before applauding. You might not.

On the other hand, do you remember Fate Magazine from back in the day? Weird tales, etc.? If so, you might be thrilled.

cthulhu

I was a subscriber to Fortean Times for a number of years…..

Aubergine

Oooh, cool. You may enjoy Thursday!

Cuppa Covfefe

How about 2600? 😀

cthulhu

I’ve got a couple of issues around here someplace….

Cuppa Covfefe

Yep. I have a bunch, somewhere, too…

It’s the somewhere that always seems to be a problem 🙂

Gail Combs

Weird tales… YES!

I also loved Analog SciFact/fiction

PAVACA

Wolf Moon
Yours Truly is grateful and humbled for the opportunity to become an author on this board. Will proceed to the instructions from you on how to get started.

PAVACA

Wolf Moon
Test two. Just changed one’s WP password.

Linda

Thank you, Valerie, for stepping up. I’m really glad to hear that all the changes you’ve been through in the past year are working out so well for your family. God is good.

TheseTruths

https://jonathanturley.org/2023/10/02/four-biden-impeachment-articles-and-what-the-house-will-need-to-prove/

(boldface mine)

With the commencement of the impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Joe Biden, three House committees will now pursue key linkages between the president and the massive influence peddling operation run by his son Hunter and brother James.

The impeachment inquiry should allow the House to finally acquire long-sought records of Hunter, James, and Joe Biden, as well as to pursue witnesses involved in their dealings.

testified this week at the first hearing of the impeachment inquiry on the constitutional standards and practices in moving forward in the investigation. In my view, there is ample justification for an impeachment inquiry. If these allegations are established, they would clearly constitute impeachable offenses. I listed ten of those facts in my testimony that alone were sufficient to move forward with this inquiry.

I was criticized by both the left and the right for the testimony. Steven Bannon and others were upset that I did not believe that the basis for impeachment had already been established in the first hearing of the inquiry. Others were angry that I supported the House efforts to resolve these questions of public corruption.

Without prejudging that evidence, there are four obvious potential articles of impeachment that have been raised in recent disclosures and sworn statements: bribery, conspiracy, obstruction, and abuse of power.

Bribery is the second impeachable act listed under Article II. The allegation that the President received a bribe worth millions was documented on a FD-1023 form by a trusted FBI source who was paid a significant amount of money by the government. There remain many details that would have to be confirmed in order to turn such an allegation into an article of impeachment.

Yet three facts are now unassailable. First, Biden has lied about key facts related to these foreign dealings, including false statements flagged by the Washington Post. Second, the president was indeed the focus of a corrupt multimillion-dollar influence peddling scheme. Third, Biden may have benefitted from this corruption through millions of dollars sent to his family as well as more direct benefit to Joe and Jill Biden.

What must be established is the President’s knowledge of or participation in this corrupt scheme. The House now has confirmed over 20 calls made to meetings and dinners with these foreign clients. It has confirmation of visits to the White House and dinners and events attended by Joe Biden. It also has confirmation of trips on Air Force II by Hunter to facilitate these deals, as well as payments where the President’s Delaware home address was used as late as 2019 for transfers from China.

The most serious allegations concern reported Washington calls or meetings by Hunter at the behest of these foreign figures. At least one of those calls concerned the removal or isolation of a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating Burisma, an energy company paying Hunter as a board member. A few days later, Biden withheld a billion dollars in an approved loan to Ukrainian in order to force the firing of the prosecutor.

The House will need to strengthen the nexus with the president in seeking firsthand accounts of these meetings, calls, and transfers.

However, there is one thing that the House does not have to do. While there are references to Joe Biden receiving money from Hunter and other benefits (including a proposed ten percent from one of these foreign deals), he has already been shown to have benefited from these transfers.

There is a false narrative being pushed by both politicians and pundits that there is no basis for an inquiry, let alone an impeachment, unless a direct payment or gift can be shown to Joe Biden. That would certainly strengthen the case politically, but it is not essential legally. Even in criminal cases subject to the highest standard, payments to family members can be treated as benefits to a principal actor. Direct benefits can further strengthen articles of impeachment, but they would not be a prerequisite for such an action.

For example, in Ryan v. United States, the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of George Ryan, formerly Secretary of State and then governor of Illinois, partly on account of benefits paid to his family, including the hiring of a band at his daughter’s wedding and other “undisclosed financial benefits to him and his family and to his friends.” Criminal cases can indeed be built on a “stream of benefits” running to the politician in question, his family, or his friends…

Courts have held that conspiracy charges do not require the defendant to be involved in all (or even most) aspects of the planning for a bribe or denial of honest services. Thus, a conspirator does not have to participate “in every overt act or know all the details to be charged as a member of the conspiracy.”

[Sen. Robert] Menendez’s case shows that the Biden Administration is prosecuting individuals under the same type of public corruption that this impeachment inquiry is supposed to prove. The U.S. has long declared influence peddling to be a form of public corruption and signed international conventions to combat precisely this type of corruption around the world.

This impeachment inquiry is going forward. The House just issued subpoenas on Friday for the financial records of both Hunter and James Biden. The public could soon have answers to some of these questions. Madison called impeachment “indispensable…for defending the community” against such corruption. The inquiry itself is an assurance that, wherever this evidence may lead, the House can now follow.

TheseTruths

In the meantime, we make them squirm as much as possible! We cause stress, we make them incur legal fees, we cause them to rethink their political strategy, we make their international compatriots uncomfortable, we turn some Dems against them, etc.

Linda

We should be doing this a lot, like they’re doing to President Trump. And not just to Biden, but to more of the commie sleazes in every part of government. There should be thousands of lawsuits against Faucci and many others for damages from the jabs. Give them the death with 1,000 cuts like they’re trying to do with Trump. But our side just talks and does very little.

TheseTruths

Hear, hear!

cthulhu

Call me weird, but I think Fauci needs the death by a long walk on air, followed by trophy hunting opossum portraits. The 1,000 cuts are because the charges are bogus.

Gail Combs

AND THE SATANISTS USE THAT TO ADVANTAGE!

21 MARCH 2022 – Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition was a song written in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour which plunged the United States into World War II.

Legend and fact might be interspersed here, but it was reported that it began as a rallying cry repeated by Lt. Howell M. Forgy, chaplain aboard the USS New Orleans, who shouted the future song title during the attack to urge the crew members to keep fighting.

This is my version, a cry to rally against an enemy and be prepared for his attacks. He hasn’t left the battlefield!

Ongoing Battle

When I last penned an article, it was The Tale of Two Flags. The battle flag, or the white flag of surrender to an oppressor, are our choices. Spiritual warfare is as real as the sunrise; so too, is the physical struggle to retain democracy and freedom from oppression in these oft-harrowing times.

Totalitarianism and socialism are on the rise, disguised in terms that brook no discussion. Two years of absolute power corrupting absolutely has taken the world by the throat and shaken it.

We’ve been taken into captivity….

pat frederick

THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
they do use our “civility” against us!

TradeBait2

Yup.

Hence the title of my BIMD – Civilized War.

Gail Combs

REMEMBER the Churches have ALSO been invaded by the Marxists who see us as the ‘ENEMY.

Therefore it is to their advantage to teach us:

“… Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also..”

” …Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

“…Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment...” 

And other defeatist thoughts instead of to FIGHT EVIL.

Robert Baker

You are quoting Scripture. These words apply to Jesus’ followers. If it your goal is to be a disciple of Jesus then you have to make sense of these words. I see no alternative. You are saying clearly that these Scriptures are defeatist thoughts. I believe most people, of whatever religious inclination, would say that it is Christian duty to stand against evil. How that is accomplished includes the Scripture you quote.

TradeBait2

^^^ This.

Even secular folks need to spend more time reading the nonviolent methods of Gandhi.

Violence begets violence.

pgroup2

He was dealing with rational adversaries.

We are not so blessed.

Gail Combs

Correct.

TheseTruths

I can’t speak for Gail. This is my take. I think she is showing that the Left takes Scripture verses out of context and says, “See, the Bible tells you to do ____,” whatever thing would suit the Left’s ends.

Scripture is full of paradoxes. We have to love our enemies but also fight evil, etc.

Gail Combs

That is what I was saying.

Remember, what we read in English was TRANSLATED by scribes who were in the pay of NOBLES esp the King James version, It is the version I have.

We would have to do as my father and learn Hebrew, Greek and Latin to actually understand the Bible.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

Careful now…remember a LOT of denominations think the KJV is correct…even where it conflicts with the manuscripts. They maintain God used the opportunity to fix corrupted older texts (especially ones kept by the Vatican).

To be clear, I do not agree with them either about cause (obviously) or effect.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

Any form or wordplay, in any document (even something as “light” as a low-grade comic book), will almost certainly be lost in translation; scripture is certainly not unusual for that.

One can try to counteract this by inserting wordplay in the target language, but then you’ve added something that wasn’t there and your translation isn’t literal. (No doubt this is part of why paraphrases are popular…very loose translations where the goal is to keep the spirit of the original not the letter. Of course that works only if the paraphrasist correctly understands the intent of the original.)

Of course the best thing to do as far as preserving meaning is to simply keep it in the original language, but the problem is few people know that language, and even fewer know what it was like “back then” (languages change, sometimes they change a lot). And there are often arguments as to what a particular ancient idiom meant.

An interesting issue with regard to the OT is that the oldest *Hebrew* text we have (IIRC termed the Masoretic text) is over a thousand years *newer* than the oldest *Greek translation* we have. In the case of any conflict between the two, which one should we trust? Do we assume the Septuagint was an accurate translation of the Hebrew manuscripts of its day, so in case of a conflict, go with LXX? Or do we assume the Hebrew has been very accurately passed down, scribe to scribe to scribe, so use the Masoretic? If I recall correctly the KJV simply used the Septuagint. Many more recent translations at least considered the Masoretic.

One of the things I actually admire about Islam is that they explicitly claim that *only* the original (is it though?) Arabic is authoritative. That stops issues stemming from people relying on translations as authortative, but it leads to Muslims who literally don’t know what it is they are chanting. (The Koran is meant to be recited, more than it is mean to be read, and the reciting should be done in the original Arabic.) Imagine memorizing and chanting hundreds of pages of sounds that, to you, are literally meaningless. Which means you need some imam to tell you what it means…which is the sort of thing that helped light off the Reformation and all of the translations of the Bible because the *Latin* (not even Greek which would be original for the NT but not [see above] for the OT!) had to be interpreted by priests.

Translation gives you the feeling that you know what was in the original text, more than some guy reading out of a Latin book and explaining the Latin to you. But neither mode is perfect.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

Typesetting to make distinctions isn’t terribly new; IIRC the KJV used small caps to denote the tetrragrammaton, and that’s pretty much standard practice now (and the italics is used for words the translators put in, largely grammatical stuff, to make the text read like English (e.g., “He saw that it *was* good” from memory of early chapters of Genesis, so maybe not those exact words. Apparently in Hebrew I mean Koine Greek since this is LXX most likely, you don’t need a past tense of “to be” there for that sentence to scan well.)

But just from recollection there were names like “elohim” (which interestingly is a plural, bu the way) and adonai…which I think did get carried over into the NIV. (The only Bible I ever read cover to cover was an NIV so I tend to remember it better (low bar–this was 30 years ago), though now for reference I’ll pick either NRSV or KJV depending on who I am talking to.)

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

In some cases gender neutral CAN be appropriate–if the original language doesn’t, for instance have the custom of defaulting to “he” when gender is actually uncertain.

But from this it seems like they went overboard.

(Rest assured my two NIVs predate 2011. So unless yours get burned up in a fire and you have to replace them and can’t find a pre 2011, we should be (ahem) on the same page.)

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

YOu might find this interesting. The video was done by someone who converted to Judaism, though I don’t think that colors anything until the very end where he gives out his personal preferences (explicitly labeled as being his personal preferences).

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

Islam is perfectly logical in the formal sense.

It’s just based on some very bad premises. Garbage In, Garbage Out.

As for the issue of Jesus being the Messiah (much less the literal Son of God–the two aren’t the same thing though since Jesus is believed by Christians to be both, the concepts get conflated), you can ask any (non-Messianic) Jew why they don’t think so. Once they’re satisfied you’re not planning to preach at them (or worse), you might get an educational answer. I’m not saying you’d be convinced but you’d at least see how *they* could be convinced.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

I usually see “Judaeo-Christian” used by some fundamentalist who wants to have the government more involved in “pushing” Christianity. This is the type, that when push comes to shove, or when he thinks he’s speaking outside of the public eye, WILL forget the Judaeo part.

Quite possibly why that guy was so offended. He likely knows that out of many mouths it just means “Christian actually, we’re just using Jews to sound more inclusive. We won’t be pushing the courthouse to put up a Hannukah display, just a nativity scene.”

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

I’ve heard the NIV called “dishonest” by some detractors. And of course the KJV-is-THE-Bible crowd don’t care for it because its initials aren’t K J V.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

I agree, making a translation of a translation (i.e., a translation of a Latin translation of koine Greek) is not going to help.

ON THE OTHER HAND, many Catholics are more interested in church doctrine than the original text of the Bible (though they’ll claim the former derives from the latter), so in those Catholics’ minds, this is not an issue.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

What’s interesting is I’ve seen Catholics try to convert Protestants.

They start by pointing out that the canon (i.e., the list of books that actually make up the New Testament) was set *centuries* after Jesus by…the church. (And they are right about that…the first extant list of books that exactly matches what we have today is from 369! And that’s only the first mention; it didn’t get finalized until later.

(The list is by Bishop Athanasius, who 40+ years earlier attended the council of Nicaea. It’s not true that the Bible was *written* at Nicaea, as some idiots like to claim–the individual books had all been written long before–but as of Nicaea there was no agreement as to what was supposed to be *in* the Bible in the first place.)

Anyhow, Catholic apologists will use this fact to argue that tradition actually is upstream of the Bible, so stop paying so much attention to it…

I find it amusing, but then I have no dog in that fight.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

You would be AMAZED at the relative level of knowledge about the Bible among atheists, actually. Many (but not me) were once Christians, and will happily tell stories about how they read the Bible…and that actually caused them to begin their deconversion.

In fact the *average* atheist knows more about the Bible (they consistently do better on online quizzes and so forth) than the *average* Christian. (The people on this site tend to be far more knowledgeable about the Bible than average.)

I’ve even heard of Christians deciding to go evangelize to atheists and either being told in advance by other Christians, or finding out themselves the hard way, that atheists as a class are *not* ignorant of the Bible and therefore, you can’t expect to convert them by teaching them about it.

So no, it’s not in any way odd, irionic, or peculiar that I know some things about the Bible. it’s just that the Bible isn’t in fact nearly as compelling to non-believers as believers imagine it to be.

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

As for “No dog in the fight, ” I have no dog in the fight because I don’t belong to either of the two sides.

And honestly they’re two different ways of going wrong, epistemically. I’m thus not going to prefer one over the other.

Cuppa Covfefe

Interesting. I get a new message from YouTube:

Video unavailable

This content is not available on this country domain.

Looks like the BND (our spooks) are starting to step up their censorship… or maybe the Babylonian bastiges of the EC…

kalbokalbs

Well past time for playing nice, accommodations, caving…

Gail Combs

No, we have to recognize THE ENEMY MADE the Rules that THEY want US to play by and the Uniparty RINOs are very happy to USE THOSE RULES AS AN EXCUSE TO SURRENDER!

So WE DON’T PLAY BY THEIR RULES.

We stand up to racism that is used as a WEAPON and tell the wielder your race card has EXPIRED.

We tell the WEIRDOS, I do not have to BUY INTO YOUR INSANITY.

And we TALK…
We talk to blacks and Hispanics and others so THEY start to see they are NOTHING BUT CANNON FODDER for the elite.

Believe me the tide IS TURNING based on conversations I have at the Hispanic flea market we do on occasion.

Heck, on Saturday Hubby bought me a red hat that says
Yes I’m A Trump Girl Get Over”

It is fancier than this one.

comment image

TheseTruths

REPORT: Democrats Fear the Term ‘Bidenomics’ is Backfiring
I haven’t even read the article. It just struck me as funny. Of course “Bidenomics” is going to backfire when he’s wrecking the economy. C’mon, man!

TheseTruths

Yes, so why they’re calling attention to it by naming the economic disaster after him is beyond me!

SteveInCO · Thermonuclear MAGA

They should have stuck with “Build Back Bitter” or whatever it was.

TheseTruths

LOL!

pat frederick

because there are actually idiots in CA who joined a major union and got $20 an hour for flipping burgers at mcdonalds who don’t understand how that increases inflation. THEY were celebrating that raise–not realizing they’re instituting their own demise. basic economics baffles them, so they think this is a good thing. and who do they thank for that? bidenomics.

as long as there are idiots, there will be corrupt politicians to exploit them.

Gail Combs

“… THEY were celebrating that raise–not realizing…” it means they are going to get FIRED and replaced by a robot OR the place they work is going to close.

It also means NO OTHER JOBS AVAILABLE FOR THEM PERIOD.

Hope they enjoy living on the streets.

pat frederick

it’s CA–won’t they be getting a basic universal income?
so bidenomics will save them again.

cycle of stupidity!

rayzorback

Also higher Income taxes will be required from these newly rich burger flippers.

Last edited 1 year ago by rayzorback
Gail Combs

…. The Freeze Dried Beef Industry Is Exploding — Here’s Why

Just a couple of years ago, the notion of stocking up on freeze dried beef was relegated to “doomsday preppers” and those who like to push the “easy button” on beef stew night.

  :wpds_arrow: Today, many Americans are buying up as much high-quality freeze dried beef as they can, thanks in large part to government attacks on the beef industry.

“We went from a small building with three freeze driers in June to a large warehouse with over 20 freeze driers today,” said Jason Nelson, CEO of Prepper All Naturals. “We’re adding another warehouse and a bunch more freeze driers next month.”

With a shelf-life of over a decade, freeze dried beef is ideal for those who believe lab-grown “meat” is going to be pushed on the population in the near future. If (when?) fake meat or even insects are the only animal proteins available to Americans, those who have supplies of freeze dried beef will be ahead of the curve.

“It’s not just the ‘cultivated’ meats that are concerning our customers, though that’s a big one,” Nelson continued. “It’s also the near certainty that cattle will be injected with mRNA vaccines mandated by the state, just like pigs have been quietly getting injected since 2018.”….   :wpds_eek: 

Gail Combs

Swines in the USA have been secretly “Vaccinated” with mRNA injections for years; now they’re coming for the Cattle

….Pork producers have been using customisable mRNA-based “vaccines” on their herds since 2018, without telling the public.

All customised mRNA “vaccines” are untested. Only the mRNA platform itself has been approved.

According to the American National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: “There are no current mRNA vaccines licensed for use in beef cattle in the United States.” However, a lobbyist for the association claims to have “double-vaccinated” his own herd with an mRNA “vaccine” against bovine respiratory disease.

Iowa State University began trialling an mRNA “vaccine” against bovine respiratory syncytial virus 1 October 2021.

Missouri House Bill 1169 would require the labelling of products that can alter your genes. Big Ag lobbyists strongly oppose it.

Bannon’s War Room: (7 minutes)

 Thomas Renz | “I don’t know how else to describe these people they’re psychopaths.” 8 April 2023

https://rumble.com/v2gvl3k-thomas-renz-i-dont-know-how-else-to-describe-these-people-theyre-psychopath.html

TheseTruths

But what about the bacon⁉️⁉️⁉️

pgroup2

Damn good question. If they mess with the bacon, that’s worth going to war over.
  :wpds_mad: 

cthulhu

I was just about to ask whether I’d spelled “accompaniment” wrong…

cthulhu

Now we know it’s Valerie ‘the Hammer’ Curren.

cthulhu

Seriously, though, I bet that surprised the heck out of Valerie. I certainly never suspected she could do that at all — or that WordPress would make it so easy for her to do by mistake.

Alison

Valerie found the Secret Censor button 😂😂😂