This Sanctuary Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.

It is also a place to read, post and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.

In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.

We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.

Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name calling, ridicule, insults, baiting and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.

In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion , outlined here https://wqth.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/

Let’s not give the Internet Censors a reason to shut down this intellectual haven that Wolf has created for us.

The Storm is upon us.
Please remember to Pray for our President.

AND WHAT TIME IS IT?
TIME TO DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!

It’s time to replace
a failed and CORRUPT political establishment
with a new government
controlled by you, the American People.
~ Candidate Donald J. Trump

Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:

1. No food fights.
2. No running with scissors.
3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.

And,

On this day and every day –

God is in Control
. . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . .
Keep Looking Up

Hopefully, every Sunday, we can find something here that will build us up a little . . . give us a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God;
do not mourn nor weep.” . . .
“Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not sorrow,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

It is God Who ultimately rules the affairs of men

“Seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.” (Daniel 4:25b)

If one thing is clear in Daniel’s account of God’s holy dealings with Nebuchadnezzar, it is that ultimately, and in the final analysis, it is God who rules the affairs of nations. As it is written: ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.’ (Daniel 4:17)

So too writes the Psalmist: For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another. (Psalms 75:6-7)

Jesus emphasized the same truth before the Roman ruler and governor, Pontius Pilate, when He said:“You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:11)

It is therefore abundantly clear that the Lord, Who has all power in heaven and on earth, holds the key to who in the end will rule the affairs of any given nation, especially where it concerns His people Israel.

There is a deep lesson and truth in the story of Nebuchadnezzar: He who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be exalted. That truth still holds universally true.

As Jesus said:For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 14:11)

It is a very dangerous place for any person to be in. How much more so for a ruler who has been positioned by God to govern His own people to be at loggerheads with God in the fulfillment of that task?

By far the worst place for any earthly ruler to be in is one where he (or she) tries to know better than the God who positioned him (or her). For in the end it is He Who will take charge and put rulers down or humble them if they choose to remain on a collision course with God Almighty.

It is a wonderful assurance that whatever calamities and disasters may happen on earth, in the final analysis God has everything under His control! This is the clear teaching of the Word of God, assuring all who truly believe and want to go with the Lord that He is in control and that He has all power in heaven and in the earth.

It is for this very reason, precisely because this is so, that we, His children, those who truly believe in Him and in His power, can and should continually pray: “Father, let Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.”

*https://israelmybeloved.com/it-is-god-who-ultimately-rules-the-affairs-of-men/

So it will be also in relation to the events now unfolding with our national election. Amen!

Worrying Is a Waste of Time

There are plenty of opportunities these days to worry about . . . particularly with respect to various events associated with next week’s election and the cloud of lies and duplicity associated with them. We’re getting more information that PTrump will gather more electoral votes than in 2016 . . . but what if he doesn’t? What if PTrump wins and the lying Democrats continue with their obstructionism in the House? What if we get the House back but Kevin McCarthy really is a Paul Ryan protege? What if the corrupt Executive leaders largely retain their positions? What if AG Barr really isn’t interested in prosecutions? What if Hillary, Obama and Biden escape justice? Worry, worry, worry.

As has been mentioned numerous times, the events of the future will happen in accordance with God’s plans . . . and God’s plans are perfect . . . and they are crafted so that all things work together for the good of those who love God . . . even though we don’t see it or may not even agree with it.

We don’t have to understand . . . we need to trust . . . and not worry. God’s got this, even if we witness the greatest travesty that politics in American has ever seen.

Tough to do? You bet . . . virtually impossible, but there it is.

Trust . . . don’t worry . . . and Praise God!

Scripture Reading — Matthew 6:25-34

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34

I’m generally a glass-half-full kind of person. I trust God for the future. Yet I admit that I do secretly worry about what will happen when my three-year cancer treatment plan ends. I worry about my children who have already lost their father to cancer. I worry about my husband having another heart attack. I worry about my dad’s grief and loneliness after losing my mom and then my stepmom.

What secret worries linger in the back of your mind?

We can imagine Jesus lovingly shaking his head at all of our what-ifs, and asking the rhetorical question “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Jesus teaches us not to waste time with such concerns but instead to “seek first the kingdom” of God. We can focus on living out the gospel, sharing it with others, and maximizing the time we are given.

Jesus challenges us to have faith and to trust that the Father knows exactly what we need. Rather than fret, we are invited to surrender our stress to Jesus. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,” he says, “and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

*https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/worrying-is-a-waste-of-time

This Sanctuary Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.

It is also a place to read, post and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.

In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.

We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.

Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name calling, ridicule, insults, baiting and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.

In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion , outlined here https://wqth.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/

Let’s not give the Internet Censors a reason to shut down this intellectual haven that Wolf has created for us.

The Storm is upon us.
Please remember to Pray for our President.

AND WHAT TIME IS IT?
TIME TO DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!

It’s time to replace
a failed and CORRUPT political establishment
with a new government
controlled by you, the American People.
~ Candidate Donald J. Trump

Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:

1. No food fights.
2. No running with scissors.
3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.

And,

On this day and every day –

God is in Control
. . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . .
Keep Looking Up

Hopefully, every Sunday, we can find something here that will build us up a little . . . give us a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God;
do not mourn nor weep.” . . .
“Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not sorrow,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Faith

The bedrock foundation of Christianity is faith; faith that Jesus, the Son of God, our Messiah, who died for our sin and rose again, is our personal Savior. 

But, the question may be asked, “How strong must my faith be?  What about those little doubts that creep in from time to time?” 

The first thought I have on this question is that my faith comes from God; it is not my personal attribute.  God gives faith in the form of a gift (Ephesians 2:8) (we don’t earn it or deserve it), because of His grace and mercy, and because He loves us. 

Faith is not the product of a preacher’s compelling presentation, his eloquence, or even his theological soundness—faith is given through the message about Jesus. God gives us faith “by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.  This is the means God has chosen. It is through the Word of God that faith comes to us . . . and since that faith comes from God, it must be sufficient for His purpose.

The second thought I have is that we have a great illustration of the amount of faith required from the Old Testament and the Children of Israel, who were wandering in the desert for 40 years because of their lack of faith, their unbelief that God would bring them to the Promised Land as He had promised.  This is related in Numbers 21:

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

God judged the people by sending snakes, and many of them died.  But the Israelites simply had to look up to that bronze snake in order not to die. How great a faith did the action of looking at that bronze snake take?  All an Israelite had to do, in the hope of a promise from God that he can’t see, was look at the bronze serpent on the pole. That is the example, the preview, that God gave us in the Old Testament of us now, trusting in His Son, who was lifted up on a cross for our sins.

The third thought I have is from Matthew 17:14–20, where we see Christ’s disciples unable to exorcise a demon from a young boy, even though Jesus had previously given them the authority to do so. When they asked Jesus why they weren’t able to drive the demon out, Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move; Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:14–20).

What Jesus is saying is that with very little faith, indeed, we (actually God) will do great things.  The power of faith is all from God, and He will do great things on our behalf if we have but small amounts of faith.

Just as Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the desert, Jesus was lifted up on Calvary. In John 3:13, the Bible says “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That’s the significance of that Old Testament event. It is this, that we deserve to perish in hell because of our sin. But another has been put there in our place, Jesus Christ.  He has paid the full price for our sin. Us too, all we need to do is by faith trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ and we will be saved.

Shitstorm Saturday?

Depends on how you define it, I suppose. If FG&C’s speculation of Wray getting not just fired but actually arrested had come to pass, we’d be in it. But right now I think we’re still just outside, on the edge of the real one.

Biden, on the other hand, sure managed to f*ck himself at the debate, simultaneously denying then advocating the plans to end the oil industry, and otherwise look like a dufus.

I guess he ran out of other family members to f*ck.

I’d say that qualifies as a good week!!

To be fair, I think his best moments (two of them) were when he upbraided Trump for talking about Red States versus Blue States, saying that it’s all America and we shouldn’t be making distinctions. Of course, he says things like that and it means good things to us, and bad things to him and his audience, simultaneously. (Never underestimate the utility of words and phrases with two meanings, e.g., “Peace” with both Communists and Muslims.)

A Reminder Of Today’s Big Issue.

Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People...Our campaign represents a true existential threat, like they’ve never seen before.

Then-Candidate Donald J. Trump

Needs to happen, soon.

Lawyer Appeasement Section

OK now for the fine print.

Please note that our menu has changed, please listen to all of the options.

This is the WQTH Daily Thread. You know the drill. There’s no Political correctness, but civility is a requirement. There are Important Guidelines,  here, with an addendum on 20191110.

We have a new board – called The U Tree – where people can take each other to the woodshed without fear of censorship or moderation.

And remember Wheatie’s Rules:

1. No food fights
2. No running with scissors.
3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
4. The first rule of gun safety: Don’t let the government take your guns.
5. The gun is always loaded.
5a. If you actually want the gun to be loaded, like because you’re checking out a bump in the night, then it’s empty.
6. Never point the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy.
7. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
8. Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
9. Social Justice Warriors, ANTIFA pukes, BLM hypocrites, and other assorted varieties of Marxists can go copulate with themselves, or if insufficiently limber, may substitute a rusty wire brush suitable for cleaning the bore of a twelve or ten gauge.

(Hmm a few extras seem to have crept in.)

Coin of The Day

The Eagle

Let’s face it, eagles are cool.

You’re probably not surprised to see me say that, since I will, on rare occasions, post a picture of one.

But most people don’t know that’s actually the name of a denomination of US money. (OK, you do if you’ve been following these ramblings.)

The original mint act of April 2, 1792, Section 9:

And be it further enacted, that there shall be from time to time at the said mint, coins of gold, silver, and copper, of the following denominations, values and descriptions, viz. Eagles–each to be of the value of ten dollars or units, and to contain two hundred and forty seven grains and four eighths of a grain of pure, or two hundred and seventy grains of standard gold. Half eagles–each to be of the value of five dollars, and to contain one hundred twenty-three grains and six eighths of a grain of pure, or one hundred thirty five grains of standard gold. Quarter eagles–each to be of the value of two dollars and a half dollar, and to contain sixty-one grains and seven eighths of a grain of pure, or sixty-seven grains and four eighths of a grain of standard gold. Dollars or units…

Act of April 2, 1792, Section 9

So the ten dollar gold piece was to be called an eagle, at least legally, and we’d have ten mills to the cent, ten cents to the disme, ten dismes to the dollar, and ten dollars to the eagle.

We never put the word “mill” on a coin, not even the 5 mill coin, which was labeled the half cent. (And the half cent was discontinued in 1857.) We did put the word “disme” on one coin in 1792, the next time the word appeared, in 1837, the (presumably silent, but we don’t know for absolute certain) s had been dropped. But the denomination “eagle” has never appeared on a US coin.

Ironically, like the dollar, the eagle wasn’t issued very much in the beginning. Half eagles (and half dollars) were far more popular.

In 1795-1797, we issued about 13,000 of the following:

The next style was the “large eagle” on the reverse of the eagle, from 1797-1804.

After that…nothing until 1838 (and that’s true for dollars too, except we started at least thinking about dollars in 1836 and even issued a thousand or so). There are basically two designs from there until 1933, both in variants with or without the motto “In God We Trust” but I’m going to leave that story until next week or risk finding myself having no coin to talk about.

These coins, already very infrequently issued, were subject to melting down when gold prices rose, a situation which was fixed in 1834 when we reduced the amount of gold in the coins, bringing them back in line with the current gold-silver market value ratio–I’ve discussed that before. In this case, unlike with the half eagle, there are no “common dates” that bring them under the price of a car, so even if you just want one of each design, good luck and bring your bucketload of cash and/or sell out to the Chinese.

But I’m going to drag out my soapbox on a related issue.

You can, today, buy “eagles” from the mint. But they aren’t these eagles. The word has been redefined to mean either a silver coin with an ounce of nearly pure silver in it, with a denomination of a dollar (but they’ll set you back thirty dollars), or gold coins…with a tenth, quarter, half, or full ounce of gold, denominated five, ten, twenty five, or fifty dollars. (Yes, the quarter ounce should either be a fifth of an ounce, or denominated twelve-and-a-half dollars. This is the government we’re talking about here, it doesn’t have to make sense anymore.) So “eagle” has lost its original meaning, at least when it comes to coins.

But in zoology, they’re still cool birds!

Standard disclaimer: I never show pictures of my coins, and in many cases don’t own anything remotely resembling the coins in these pictures. [This would be one of those cases.] Any prospective thieves should know I also collect other heavy metals–anything with a heavier nucleus would be unstable–and keep those a lot closer to me than the coins.

Obligatory PSAs/Reminders

Just one more thing, my standard Public Service Announcements. We don’t want to forget any of these!!!

How not to get your ass kicked by the police. Chris Rock in 2007

Granted an “ass kicking” isn’t the same as being shot, but both can result from the same stupid act. You may ultimately beat the rap, but you aren’t going to avoid the ride.

Remember Hong Kong!!! And remember the tens of millions who died under the “Great Helmsman” Chairman Mao.

中国是个混蛋 !!!
Zhōngguò shì gè hùndàn !!!
China is asshoe !!!

For my money the Great Helmsman is Hikaru Sulu (even if the actor is a dingbat).

Isaiah 45:1–7

1 “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
2 ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;
7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’

In verse 1 we see that God is speaking through Isaiah to Cyrus who was the king of Babylon according to history and to Ezra 4:1-6. Cyrus then was a pagan king of a pagan government. But look at how God addresses King Cyrus of Persia: “His anointed.”  

The God of heaven and the God of His people raised up a Persian king who would take over Babylon when the men and women whose parents had been taken into captivity were ready to return to Jerusalem. God sent Israel into captivity for 70 years and then raised up Cyrus, who would do God’s bidding in God’s timing to return the exiles, rebuild their temple and rebuild the city walls. We see in this Isaiah passage that God was in control of all things regarding His people at all times.

 Every generation can put the name of their king, their president, and their prime minister in this passage. Romans 14 tells us that every government power is of God and does God’s bidding. A few years ago we could say that President Obama was God’s instrument doing God’s bidding. This year we can say that President Trump is God’s instrument doing God’s bidding. Whichever one you have trouble with, rest assured that God is in control doing His work through these national leaders.

 In the book of Daniel we see great prophesies concerning kingdoms that were yet to come. As those prophesied nations rose and fell we could see God’s hand behind them all accomplishing His overall purposes in the earth. As cruel as the Roman government and its army was, God put them in place so in the fullness of time Jesus could come to earth.

As we read the book of Revelation we see that there are prophecies yet to be fulfilled. God is using every ruler of every country to bring about His divine plan for the fulfillment of all things. In the end we will see and know that God was in control doing His bidding through godless leaders and we will praise God forever for His great will.

* https://graceforlifebc.com/2017/05/23/god-puts-kings-and-rulers-in-place/

This Sanctuary Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.

It is also a place to read, post and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.

In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.

We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.

Please show respect and consideration for your fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name calling, ridicule, insults, baiting and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.

In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion , outlined here https://wqth.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/

Let’s not give the Internet Censors a reason to shut down this intellectual haven that Wolf has created for us.

The Storm is upon us.
Please remember to Pray for our President.

AND WHAT TIME IS IT?
TIME TO DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!

It’s time to replace
a failed and CORRUPT political establishment
with a new government
controlled by you, the American People.
~ Candidate Donald J. Trump

Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:

1. No food fights.
2. No running with scissors.
3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.

And,

On this day and every day –

God is in Control
. . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . .
Keep Looking Up

Hopefully, every Sunday, you can find something here that will build you up a little . . . give you a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God;
do not mourn nor weep.” . . .
“Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not sorrow,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Bad Days

Have you ever had a really bad day?  Well, that’s probably kind of a dumb question, the answer being “Of course I have”! 

Well then, have you had a number of bad days?  Well, again, I think most of us would answer “Duh”!  Recently?  Well, yeah.

I think we all, some more, some less have bad days.  Even really bad days. Maybe even lots of ’em.

Maybe something at work, or at home, or between us and God . . . we’ve had bad days, are having bad days, and will have bad days.

So, what’re we gonna do about that?  Just wallow in the situation and let time, the great healer, eventually have its effect?

Well, we don’t have to do that.  As Christians, when we are beset with a plague of bad days, we are in a position to look at those days with a perspective that will reduce them to, well, hopefully next to nothing at all.

When we’re having a bad day, it helps to be reminded that God is on our side and that we are one of God’s beloved children, officially adopted into His family.

So if we’re having a bad day today, let’s sit back and remind ourselves of just what our Heavenly Father promises us.

Deuteronomy 31:6: Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Psalm 55:22: Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be shaken.

Zephaniah 3:17: The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

1 John 5:4: For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.

Romans 8:37-39: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Well, that’s all good for holding a proper perspective, but the bad days don’t just get logically into our heads, they get deep into us at an emotional level, also.

John 16:33: I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

John 14:27: I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

When we get caught up in that “Oh, poor me!” trap, I think the Psalms are the place to go.  We’ll have a really difficult time hanging on to our precious little bundle of self pity while and after we read a few of our favorite Psalms.  Praise and Thanksgiving Psalms work the best in these situations.

Try one:

Psalm 16
1 Watch over me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.”
3 As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.
5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You uphold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in the abode of the dead,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

When we stop and think that we praise and thank God for a future eternity of Peace and Joy in His presence, that singular fact has the effect of reducing our transient bad days to just a nit. 

Just think of it . . . an eternity of Joy and Peace with God of such a quality that “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

We won’t let a bad day distract us from God’s blessings. We are loved. We are not alone. God delights in us. We are victorious. In fact, we are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. So we will be encouraged and have a good day because “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Shitstorm Saturday??

Maybe, and that would be ironic, because this time I actually do have something to talk about that has nothing to do with justice for the Deep State.

Or maybe it does, in a way, because the war for liberty is a constant in our lives, and what I’m about to talk about is an earlier battle.

So I have filler on the week when I don’t need it, but I’ll use it anyway.

The Battle Of Saratoga

On this day, October 17th, in 1777, what we now know as the Battle of Saratoga came to an end.

The British held New York (and New York was actually largely loyalist). They came up with looked like a good plan, to send troops north from New York, and south from Canada, to meet in the middle near Albany and cut the United States in half. Britain commanded the seas, so there’d be no way for the two halves of the country to communicate.

There were a lot of horrible SNAFUs, fortunately. The force in New York City had left to seize Philadelphia before the orders arrived, and they did succeed at that.

The northern force of 8000 men under General John Burgoyne, by contrast, was trying to do the right thing but just ran into snag after snag, some of which the patriots engineered, some of which were just Murphy in action.

Even before leaving Quebec, Burgoyne ran into difficulties. They expected to travel mainly over water, and thus hadn’t brought too many wagons and draft animals for the land parts of the route. In June, the governor of Quebec finally issued orders to procure the land transport, but the carts were freshly made out of green wood, and driven by civilians who were more likely to desert. Finally on June 13 Burgoyne set out. Burgoyne’s forces, with the invaluable support of Indians, quickly sailed up the river and up Lake Champlain, capturing Fort Cown Point (undefended) by June 30th. The Indian screening forces prevented American scouts from learning of the true size of the invading force. A series of mistakes on our part made it easy for the British to capture Fort Ticonderoga–which we had considered impregnable–on July 6.

This was a big enough disaster that the French, on the verge of joining the war on our side, decided to hold off.

Burgoyne consolidated his position and then moved on to Fort Edward. Again the Indians preceded him, but this time they became impatient and started indiscriminately raiding frontier families, which simply caused more locals to turn to the Patriot cause. Most famous of these fatalities was Jane McCrea, who had been engaged to a Loyalist; ironically her martyrdom ended up helping the American cause.

But Burgoyne was now deep in hostile territory, and he was realizing he had supply difficulties. He tried raiding the surrounding area for supplies, and a regiment, plus some Brunswick dragoons, under the command of Friedrich Baum went into what is now Vermont to obtain (i.e., steal) supplies. This force ran into 2000 men under John Stark at Bennington, and was enveloped and captured on August 16. That deprived Burgoyne of almost 1000 men and, of course, he didn’t get the supplies.

Burgoyne blamed the Indians and the Canadians who had come with his forces, and most of the Indians and Canadians left his camp; Burgoyne now had fewer than 100 Indian scouts, and now had no protection from the American rangers.

Now Burgoyne was realizing he’d not be done before winter. He had the choice to either retreat or push on to Albany; he chose the latter. A month of maneuverings with only two pitched battles followed, but one was an attack on Ticonderoga, well to the rear of the main British forces.

To cut out a lot of complexity, Burgoyne was finally defeated at Saratoga on October 17th, 1777. The plan to cut America in two had failed.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of this. For one thing, the French, when they learned of this, finally came into the war on our side. By declaring war on Britain, they were risking their own necks, and they didn’t want to jump in until we had really shown that we were in it to win it. And Saratoga did just that.

It shook the British up enough that they tried to negotiate a peace the next year, and repealed many of the acts that had goaded us into fighting. They even offered us self rule and representation in Parliament. That might have worked as late as 1775. It wasn’t enough in 1778. (The self-government offer was basically the blueprint for the later British Commonwealth–the Brits had learned their lesson by then.) After we rejected the offer the British reassessed their strategy, and turned to the south.

And so…a direct line can be drawn between October 17, 1777 and another event exactly four years later, October 17th, 1781, in Virginia. General Cornwallis, commander of the last significant British army on US soil, on that day began negotiations for surrender at Yorktown. That surrender took place on the 19th (meaning we can celebrate another anniversary this coming Monday), and the war was effectively over. The British government fell (i.e., their Prime Minister had to resign), and that was that. We just had to sign a peace treaty with the country that was now forced to acknowledge our independence.

Betsy Ross Flags? Fly ’em if you’ve got ’em. I do and I will.

Justice Must Be done.

Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People...Our campaign represents a true existential threat, like they’ve never seen before.

Then-Candidate Donald J. Trump

Lawyer Appeasement Section

OK now for the fine print.

This is the WQTH Daily Thread. You know the drill. There’s no Poltical correctness, but civility is a requirement. There are Important Guidelines,  here, with an addendum on 20191110.

We have a new board – called The U Tree – where people can take each other to the woodshed without fear of censorship or moderation.

And remember Wheatie’s Rules:

1. No food fights
2. No running with scissors.
3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
4. Zeroth rule of gun safety: Don’t let the government get your guns.
5. Rule one of gun safety: The gun is always loaded.
5a. If you actually want the gun to be loaded, like because you’re checking out a bump in the night, then it’s empty.
6. Rule two of gun safety: Never point the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy.
7. Rule three: Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
8. Rule the fourth: Be sure of your target and what is behind it.

(Hmm a few extras seem to have crept in.)

The Mandatory Coin

I’m going to skip this, this time; Saratoga is quite enough history to “chew on.”

Important Reminder

To conclude: My standard Public Service Announcement. We don’t want to forget this!!!

Remember Hong Kong!!!

中国是个混蛋 !!!
Zhōngguò shì gè hùndàn !!!
China is asshoe !!!