“When we understand that our identity comes from being children of God rather than members of superior ethnic or national groups, we are freed from the need to diminish others to feel good about ourselves.” -Council of Bishops - The United Methodist Church, “Building Beloved Community”

“When we know that our ultimate authority rests in God’s love rather than human power, we are freed from the anxiety that makes simple answers so appealing” -Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, “Building Beloved Community”

Fear mongering around welfare use by immigrants was always a lie. Keep in mind: “immigrants” in this survey includes citizens & long-term residents who’ve paid into public benefits systems.

I guess I’m rooting for the Patriots. First time since…the last NE-SEA Super Bowl 🤣🤷🏻‍♂️

Born Again? Born from Above? (Jan. 25, 2026) youtu.be/FOh44lo2XqE

I’m out of words. I used to get in the weeds of controversial killings. Now I just grieve. This is the type of escalating violence that people warned about when ICE’s funding tripled last year. 😤😢🙏🏼

The people trying to immanentize the eschaton and the people preaching God‘s holy judgment have like switched sides from 20 years ago, wild times in the ekklesia.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬ bible.com/bible/1713/r...

I’m fine with this. I’m also fine with P4 champs plus one G6 champ getting in. I’m not fine with ND being guaranteed a spot if they finish in the top 12. They need to join a conference. apnews.com/article/cfp-...

Notching a rare win: House passed spending bills with all anti-trans riders removed—no care bans, no school funding threats, nothing. Sarah McBride and Dem appropriators fought for this for months. open.substack.com/pub/aridrenn...

“Authoritarian movements both create the conditions that force people to migrate & then exploit fear of those same migrants for political power.”—Council of Bishops - The United Methodist Church, “Building Beloved Community”

“A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength. The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power. But look, the  Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him — those who depend on his faithful love.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭33‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬

This IU defense has been insane. Gave up one good play, that’s it. Miami is making Indiana work for it, though. You know Miami is playing hard knock football when Cignetti whines about QB hits to the reporter.

Jesus Confronts the Powers (Jan 18, 2026) youtu.be/BOzKfLR4TaU

Been a great ride for the 49ers this season. Hate to see it end but it’s looking like it’s the end. Hopefully they get (& stay) healthy next season. Rooting for Texans & Bears tomorrow.

Brock Purdy is one of the toughest, gutsiest QBs in the league. Also Purdy: “Oh snap that dude is big & fast. Sorry Jauan, hope you get that pass off, Kyle doesn’t want me getting hurt.” 🤣🤣🤣

Timberwolves hold a moment of silence for Renee Nicole Good

FYI re: law enforcement use of force & moving vehicles. apnews.com/article/ice-...

“The struggle for democracy is not ultimately about political systems but about the kind of world God desires—a world where every person is valued, where power serves love rather than dominating it, & where communities flourish in justice & peace.”—UMC Council of Bishops, Building Beloved Community

“…Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;  do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless & cleansed from blatant rebellion. May the words of my mouth & the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock & my Redeemer. ” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬ bible.com/bible/1713/p...

Ignorantly Following Christ's Light (Jan 4, 2026) youtu.be/__2I1xb7a2g

The way we need to market this shit is to do what conservatives did for the past 30 years and write books like “The ten forbidden truths you’re not allowed to say on politically correct tv” and then it’s just cities are mostly fine and it’s good to get a flu shot

““Because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the  Lord. “I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.” ” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬ bible.com/bible/1713/p...

Who needs defense when we can have this barn burner? #Niners

The Lamb of God (Dec 28, 2025) youtu.be/khrQkgMQVSs

Christmas Eve Homily (Dec. 24, 2025) youtu.be/EVkMrZvfZDU

O Holy Night (sung by LeeAnn Chandler) (CCLI Streaming License #21582694) youtu.be/pk6pFHrhmlE

“As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to ‘test the spirits,’…we must develop the spiritual & intellectual tools to distinguish between authentic leadership that serves the common good & authoritarian appeals that exploit our fears & divisions.”-UMC Bishops, “Building Beloved Community,” 2025

“When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬ bible.com/bible/1713/p...

One of my all-time favorite Bible stories. He literally bored someone to death with his preaching…& kept preaching. 🤣

FYI y’all. As someone who’s becoming old, it can be easy to think everything is worse than it used to be, that teenagers are wilder than ever, etc. Life is more complicated than that. apnews.com/article/teen...

Oh gee, it's a good thing the CFP committee didn't take a chance on teams like Notre Dame and BYU, and instead went with the traditional powerhouse Alabama who are surely better than their 3-loss record indicates.

2025 Christmas Pageant & Reflection (Dec 14, 2025) youtu.be/tk5idoAC8FE

“God is not partial to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭34‬:‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬ bible.com/bible/1713/j...

I definitely think a few things need to change in the CFP. But while it’s fun for fans to argue, institutional leaders need to stop acting like victims, & start taking responsibility for what they control, as Vanderbilt has done. www.si.com/college-foot...

Switching between the 2 consequential college football games 🏈& el semifinal de Liga MX entre Los Tigres y Cruz Azul. ⚽️

Birthright citizenship is good policy - the arguments that it’s not all seem either race stuff or the unfairness that other people have to wait. We can fix that by admitting more naturalized citizens.

A good draw for the US. But in many ways the stakes are higher: with a bigger field. U.S. has to play 1 more match to make it to the Round of 16, & losing there would be disappointingly stale, but I’m not sure if the US can do better than that.

The most interesting part of this story isn’t that the pipe bomber is MAGA. That was blatantly obvious. What should interest folks is that the FBI and DoJ hid that fact from you, and still haven’t made a statement. This info is coming from sources on the condition of anonymity.

Hanging of the Greens (Nov 30, 2025) youtu.be/ZyRzJSQCpt0

Sort of nuts how commentators are making arguments for Texas in the CFP. Dude, they lost to Florida and saying “we shouldn’t have scheduled OSU” is not an excuse for losing to Florida. Doesn’t this mean Michigan is in the. If it loses to OSU tomorrow then. We only lost to Oklahoma and USC then.

The attack on National Guard service members Sarah Beckstrom & Andrew Wolfe was evil. However, any time a foreign national does something evil, immigrants as a whole get blamed. So here’s a reliable study on immigrants & crime. docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/...

“When God fixed the weight of the wind…he considered wisdom and evaluated it; he established it and examined it. He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.”” ‭‭Job‬ ‭28‬:‭25‬-‭28‬ ‭CSB‬‬ bible.com/bible/1713/j...

Investing in God's House (Nov 23, 2025) youtu.be/mJx-HQcCmmY

My Rankings this week. No, I don’t feel great about having the Sun Belt champion in the playoffs & the ACC champ out. But the ACC’s best team won’t be its champion, & JMU & Virginia have comparable resumes. 🤷🏻‍♂️

In normal democracy terms, we've in bad shape and things are getting worse. In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular. Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.

“But I know that my Redeemer lives, & at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬ bible.com/bible/1713/j...

As a certified spreadsheet nerd, I make my own CFB rankings of all 136 FBS teams. Here is my top 25. Comparison to CFP selections & my methodology below.

This is exactly the type of stuff we should want representatives in purple districts to break from party orthodoxy on www.politico.com/live-updates...

Here's something I didn't learn as a kid but plan to pass on to my own kids: Don't invest in individual stocks unless it's your full-time job to trade or to build companies. Buy the index, every time.