America’s Crisis of Leadership

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

In America today, we are witnessing the results of four kinds of leadership described long ago in Scripture — each with its own character, consequence, and calling.
The first is what I call “Saul-leadership.”
This kind of leader has power, charisma, and presence — everything that looks right on the outside — but beneath the polish lies fear. The fear of what people think. The fear of losing approval. The fear of standing alone when the crowd turns. This fear always undermines trust, direction, and purpose.
You see this kind of leadership in Washington today — strong in appearance, weak in conviction. Leaders falter not because they lack ability, but because they are more afraid of opinion than of disobedience. Their words shift with the wind; their convictions crumble when tested. All you have to do is look back in history and see how often they’ve flip-flopped. Senator Schumer is a clear example of this kind of leadership — intelligent, influential, but bound by fear of public reaction rather than anchored in principle. This is Saul-leadership: the kind that looks powerful but is ruled by fear instead of truth.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” — Proverbs 29:2
Then there is “Samuel-leadership.”
This is the kind of leadership that does not chase popularity or applause but cares about the spiritual and moral condition of the nation. Samuels speak truth even when power despises them. They are not chosen by vote or by chart; they are called — ordained by God, not appointed by man.
In America’s history, we once had a generation of such leaders — they were called the Black Robe Regiment. These were pastors during the American Revolution who wore black clerical robes as they preached. But they did more than preach — they ignited the conscience of a nation. From their pulpits came sermons that stirred liberty, challenged tyranny, and called men to moral courage.
The British feared them so much that they blamed the Revolution itself on “that Black Regiment.” These men were Samuel-leaders — men who stood between God and the people, declaring truth without compromise, reminding a young America that freedom without righteousness is still bondage.
“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” — George Washington
Next comes “David-leadership.”
This kind of leader is rare — humble, courageous, and deeply devoted to God. David-leaders are called early and clearly. They love God and His Word. They are not perfect; they stumble and fall like all of us. But they repent, they grow, and they lead with heart. They defend the weak, fight for justice, and carry both strength and tenderness.
In our day, we saw glimpses of this kind of leadership in men who dared to speak truth, not for applause but for awakening. Charlie Kirk was one of these — unafraid to speak what was right, calling this generation to moral clarity and courage. David-leaders make people uncomfortable because they expose the line between right and wrong. They force us to choose. But they also inspire us to stand.
“The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” — James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. President and minister of the Gospel
Finally, when neither Saul nor David is present, and when the Samuels are ignored, “Jehu-leadership” arises.
This kind of leader bursts onto the scene when corruption, complacency, and wickedness have gone unchecked for too long. Jehu is not refined; he’s not careful; he’s not diplomatic. In fact, people call him “mad.” But his mission is unmistakable — to cleanse the land from corruption and idolatry.
In modern words, Jehu comes to “drain the swamp.” He does not wait for permission or consensus. He moves fast, acts boldly, and disrupts everything that needs to be shaken. His rule is not long — just long enough to tear down the idols and make space for righteousness to rise again. People either move with him or get run over by the speed of his calling.
And today in America, we have a Jehu — because we have allowed too many Sauls to lead for too long. Fearful leadership has invited chaos, and when the people grow weary of weakness, God raises a Jehu to cleanse what others were too afraid to confront.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke
If we are to be great again, we must first be godly again.
We must be willing to stand when others sit, to speak when others stay silent, to call evil “evil” and righteousness “righteous.”
Leadership is not defined by polish or position — it is defined by courage, conviction, and truth. The measure of leadership is not how loud a man speaks, but how faithfully he stands when the world bows.

Common Sense vs. Nonsense

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Common Sense or Nonsense?
In America today, the question is not whether we have the ability to lead, but whether we still possess common sense.
Every day, decisions are being made that defy logic, reject morality, and mock truth. What used to be clear is now blurred. What was once considered right is now called wrong, and what was once wrong is now celebrated. Somewhere along the way, our nation exchanged wisdom for confusion and replaced truth with nonsense.
It is time we start calling things what they are: Common Sense or Nonsense.
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Sports and Biology
Nonsense is allowing biological men, men who believe they are women, to compete in women’s sports.
For generations, women fought for equality — to vote, to work, to earn fair pay, and to compete with honor and fairness. Those victories were not handed to them; they were earned through courage, endurance, and sacrifice. Now, in the name of “inclusion,” those hard-fought rights are being erased. Biological men are breaking women’s records, taking their scholarships, and entering their locker rooms and bathrooms. We are told this is progress.
That is not fairness. That is confusion.
Common sense says if biological males believe they are female, they can have their own league and their own bathrooms. Men compete against men, women compete against women, and those who choose otherwise can compete within their own division. This protects fairness, safety, and dignity for everyone. The rights of one group do not cancel the rights of another. Equality cannot exist when truth is denied and boundaries are ignored.
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Protests and Accountability
Nonsense is destroying cities and calling it justice.
We have watched as riots have burned neighborhoods, as stores have been looted, and as police officers have been attacked — all in the name of “freedom of speech.” Yet, when the damage is done, it is the taxpayer who pays for cleanup, repair, and overtime. Leaders call it progress, but it is destruction.
Common sense says freedom and accountability must walk together. Yes, every American has the right to protest, but every protester must be responsible for his or her actions. Require organizers to post a cash bond, carry insurance, and take financial responsibility for the damage caused. Freedom is not the absence of order; it is the presence of responsibility.
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Immigration and Borders
Nonsense is calling an open border compassion.
Every day, thousands cross into this country illegally. Our cities, hospitals, and schools are overwhelmed. Fentanyl pours across the border. The cartels grow richer, and American families suffer. Politicians stand behind podiums and call it “humanitarian,” but there is nothing compassionate about chaos.
Common sense says America is a nation of immigrants, and we need them. Immigrants have built our farms, factories, and communities. They have fought in our wars and strengthened our culture. But immigration must be done the right way. Enter through the front door, not through the fence. Secure the border, fix the system, and welcome those who respect our laws and love this nation. Compassion without control destroys everyone.
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Crime and Justice
Nonsense is turning criminals into victims and police into enemies.
Across America, offenders are released without bail, violent criminals are back on the streets, and honest citizens live behind locked doors. Businesses close because theft has become acceptable. Prosecutors refuse to prosecute, and police officers are condemned for doing their jobs. That is not justice. That is lawlessness.
Common sense says enforce the law, support the police, and protect the innocent. Justice means accountability. When wrongdoing is excused, chaos rules. Mercy without truth is weakness, not compassion.
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Education and Indoctrination
Nonsense is turning classrooms into political stages.
Schools were once the heart of learning, where children were taught truth, discipline, and respect. Today, many schools push ideology instead of education. Children are taught to question their identity but never their curriculum. Parents are treated as obstacles, and morality is replaced with confusion.
Common sense says education must return to the basics: reading, writing, mathematics, history, and civics. Teachers should teach truth, not trends. Parents should be partners, not outsiders. Reward the educators who truly build young minds and remove those who use classrooms to divide them. Education should enlighten, not indoctrinate.
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Drugs and Addiction
Nonsense is enabling addiction and calling it compassion.
Our cities are filled with tents, needles, and hopelessness. Families are being destroyed. Fentanyl and opioids are taking more lives every day. Yet, government programs hand out clean needles and call it “harm reduction.” That is not compassion. That is surrender.
Common sense says confront the drug crisis with strength and mercy. Secure the border to stop the supply. Hold traffickers accountable. Invest in real recovery that restores body, mind, and spirit. Addiction should not be managed; it should be defeated. We do not need more tolerance for destruction — we need transformation.
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Gerrymandering and Representation
Nonsense is drawing political boundaries to preserve power rather than represent people.
Through gerrymandering, politicians carve and twist districts to guarantee their own victories. Communities are split apart, cities are divided, and voices are silenced. Representation has become about control, not service. America is now being governed more like a democracy ruled by the loudest crowd rather than a republic guided by law and balance. The result is a government that no longer reflects the people it represents.
Common sense says America was founded as a republic, not a mob-ruled democracy. In a republic, every community deserves fair and balanced representation. Districts should follow natural county and city lines, not political manipulation. If a county is too small to stand alone, join it with a neighboring county so that communities remain whole and citizens are heard. Representation must reflect the people, not the politics.
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The Truth
America’s greatest crisis is not a lack of intelligence. It is a lack of moral courage and common sense.
Once, common sense guided our homes, schools, and government. Today, it has been replaced by emotion, fear, and political gamesmanship.
If this nation is to survive, we must return to truth, order, and accountability. Common sense brings clarity; nonsense brings confusion.
Common sense once built this country.
Nonsense is what is tearing it apart.
“The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” – George Orwell
“Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” – William Penn

Brain-Washed!

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

Think about it: Here are all these particles—electrons, protons, negative-charged particles, positive-charged particles, matter, anti-matter, etc. And what makes them so that we can observe and experience? A bunch of rules. Without those rules, those particles can’t work together. And without working together, none of them can exist. Turns out that these rules from God keep them in existence. For you atheists and sceptics. But that’s not all.

Why is it so many won’t accept the record of facts? And, that Noah and Moses both were told by God what to do, and to write everything down that God said to them and that they experienced with God. This is the first five books of the Bible. (The Flood has been scientifically proven by archeologists.)

The real question is as one Rabbi puts it: What would it take to convince sceptics?
To convince them that:
a) There is a G d, responsible for the very ground of existence.
b) This G d cares about what’s happening in that existence.
c) This G d can communicate, and actually does communicate, to human beings all that He would like us to be doing down here.

All the evidence in the world wouldn’t be able to budge those people. Because we are not talking about logic here—we are talking about axioms. And to those academics, it is a foregone conclusion, an axiom, that if not ‘a,’ (that God created), then certainly ‘b,’ (that God cares about what is happening in the world), and ‘c,’ (that God does talk to us), are just preposterous.

There are two possibilities here: Moses did all he did as recorded in the Torah and first 5 books of the Holy Bible because God spoke within him, or people made this up as history went along.

The fact is that this biblical record of Moses having God speak to him for the good will of His people – is so wild. You CAN NOT arrive at it through philosophy or logic. So, why DO we believe it?

Not just because we believe in the life of the Jewish people, and the patriarchs’ scrolls (journals) of their experience of God, beginning with Noah (Genesis with the flood) and on with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – God speaking to them and leading them in what to do or not do. We believe in Jesus, from the line of Judah (Judah – one of Jacob’s 12 sons). Jesus is a Jew and all the hatred of Jews really stems from their hatred of God and the Jews who brought us the Torah and the Bible.

We believe on TRUTH, not opinion or feeling. We believe in personal eye-witness testimonies, and also all the scientific evidence. Archaeologists continue to dig up more and more proof of what the Bible says. We believe in ‘eye witnesses’ with their same testimonies of having walked with Jesus, watching Him go to His cross to die in our place, then laying Him in the tomb where 3 days later – they saw only His folded up burial clothes on the altar. All factual! Eye-witnesses of Jesus’ re-appearing to 500 of them in bodily form and speaking to them His promises, and instructions to go into all the world telling people about His love for them.

And on it goes, and won’t end until Jesus returns as King of kings – just as promised, and even foretold to the early prophets of God.
Since we believe in the life-experience of the Jews, which means we believe in their testimonies within Torah, we believe in God and that God cares and speaks.

Modern society is grounded lock and barrel on Moses’ idea: The idea that all people are created by a single God who cares about each one of them. That is the basis of modern democracy and all civil rights.

Yet without God’s laws and principles, society is simply not sustainable—and neither is life on the planet. If God just is and life just is and everything just is – without innate meaning or value – then what? Well we are seeing “what” in our world today – that is sooo grievous with lost and hopeless people in their godless societies and nations with raging inhumanities.

So, if Moses is right that God cares as we see with all Moses went through to rescue God’s people from their slavery – when God first audibly called to him, then what is so impossible – in that God might wish to communicate exactly what He cares about, and that it actually happened at a certain point in time with Moses and at a certain place to a certain mass of people (Hebrews/Jews)?

Truth and Love! This is why I have come to believe in the God of the Holy Bible, and in His Son Jesus Christ – my Savior and Lord. He is my perfect peace and joy, my sure hope for eternal life, and certainty that He hears my prayers for my loved ones and for the lost people in our world. God hears me, this I know. I hear Him, because He poured His Holy Spirit into me, and He lives in me.

I lived a very empty sinful worldly life till I met Jesus at the age of 22 – when I was questioning and wondering about life after death. And I was not disappointed by God in the least. For He knew me and loved me. Just like he does you. I have never had a reason to doubt this in over 50 years. I am 73 now, and I never will doubt Him. “Brainwashed,” you say? Yes, my “brain was washed clean and new.” And I will forever be grateful to my Redeemer!

The War Against Womanhood

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

I have lived long enough to see the world change — and not for the better. Something sacred has been lost in this generation. The world has redefined what it means to be a woman, and in doing so, it has wounded families, weakened men, and confused the hearts of young girls.
Everywhere I look, the picture of womanhood that God painted has been torn apart and redrawn in the image of rebellion. The world teaches women to chase independence at any cost, to trade virtue for visibility, and to measure worth by appearance and applause. It mocks purity and humility as weakness, while praising arrogance, sensuality, and self-promotion as strength.
What God designed to be life-giving, gentle, and pure has been twisted into something loud, proud, and hollow. The enemy is clever — he doesn’t destroy by force, he deceives by imitation. He takes what God made beautiful and whispers, “You can do better your own way.” It was the same lie he told Eve in the garden. And just as then, that lie still leads to ruin.
I’ve seen what happens when homes lose their foundation — when women and men stop walking in the order and grace God designed. The world falls apart one family at a time. But I’ve also seen the strength of a woman who fears the Lord — and I’ve been blessed to live beside one.
My wife has been my greatest earthly gift. She has never needed to raise her voice to make her strength known. Her prayers have covered me when I was weary, her faith steadied me when I lost my footing, and her quiet spirit has often spoken louder than any sermon. She has not tried to control me but has helped me become the man God called me to be. When I have failed, she prayed instead of nagged; when I doubted, she believed for both of us. That, my children, is the power of a godly woman.
The Scripture says, “A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.” (Proverbs 14:1). I have watched my wife build — day by day, prayer by prayer, sacrifice by sacrifice. She has been the heartbeat of our home. Her beauty was never in outward adornment, but in the strength of her faith. And because she feared the Lord, she never had to fear the future.
To the young women who will come after us — especially to my granddaughters — the world will try to tell you that this kind of woman no longer exists. It will say that submission is weakness, that purity is outdated, and that motherhood limits your worth. Do not believe it. Those are the lies that destroy what God has called sacred.
A woman who fears the Lord is not a slave — she is free. She is not powerless — she holds the kind of power that shapes destinies. Her strength is not in defiance, but in devotion. She does not follow the world’s trends; she follows the Word of God. And because of that, her life bears fruit that will outlast generations.
The world may never celebrate her, but heaven will know her name.
So stand firm. Do not let the world steal what God has given you. Be prayerful, gentle, and strong. Be a woman who walks with God and builds her home with faith and love. For the woman who fears the Lord does not follow the world — she transforms it.

The Illusion of Losing Our Democracy

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America was founded not as a pure democracy but as a constitutional republic — a government ruled by law, grounded in moral truth, and accountable to God rather than the emotions of the moment. The Founders understood that liberty could not survive if the passions of the crowd ruled unchecked. They studied history and saw that every democracy eventually destroys itself through excess, corruption, and the tyranny of the majority.
A democracy is ruled by the will of the people. Whatever the majority desires today becomes law tomorrow. It celebrates participation, but it also breeds instability, because public emotion can shift faster than truth. In a pure democracy, fifty-one percent of the people can take away the rights of the other forty-nine percent — all in the name of fairness.
A republic, however, is ruled by law. The people still govern, but through elected representatives bound by a Constitution that protects individual rights and limits government power. A republic asks not only what the people want, but whether it is right. It tempers passion with principle and anchors freedom in restraint.
The United States was designed as that republic — a balance between the voice of the people and the boundaries of truth. The Constitution stands as the fence around freedom: without it, liberty becomes license, and order collapses into chaos.
Today, the phrase “We are losing our democracy” is heard everywhere. But what does it really mean? To the modern progressive or extreme left, democracy does not simply mean representative government. It has come to mean unrestricted control by majority ideology — a political and cultural system where their vision can advance without resistance from law, tradition, or faith.
When they claim that democracy is under threat, they are not grieving the loss of free elections or fair representation; they are grieving the loss of control. To them, “democracy” means the power to reshape society at will — to impose moral and social change swiftly, without the friction of constitutional limits, opposing beliefs, or the rule of law. In their worldview, anything that slows their agenda is labeled “undemocratic”: the courts, the Electoral College, state sovereignty, biblical morality, or even the Constitution itself.
What is truly tragic is that much of the younger generation does not even know that America is a republic, not a pure democracy. And what is worse, our universities are no longer teaching them the difference. Instead of grounding students in truth and history, higher education has become a tool to shape ideology rather than to pursue understanding. The result is a generation that mistakes emotion for justice and majority opinion for moral authority — a people easily swayed because they no longer know what their nation was built upon.
Their vision of democracy seeks to dissolve the very boundaries that hold a republic together. They push for systems where emotion outweighs evidence, identity outranks integrity, and temporary majority replaces eternal truth. What they call progress is often rebellion repackaged — the same old human attempt to build a kingdom without a King.
What I have learned in life is simple but sobering: when people accuse me of something, it is often because they are guilty of the very thing they accuse. The same is true in politics. Those shouting that our democracy is in danger are often the ones eroding it — silencing dissent, censoring speech, and undermining the rule of law.
The so-called “No Kings” movements are a perfect example. They cry out against tyranny while seeking power over every sphere of life. They shout, “No Kings!” but secretly want to be kings themselves. They reject the rule of God yet crave control. They promise freedom but demand obedience to their ideology. A democracy without God becomes mob rule.
History has proven that no human system can hold together when truth is abandoned. The balance we long for — justice with mercy, power with humility, and freedom with righteousness — can only come from One who is perfectly just and perfectly good. Every kingdom of man eventually falls because every ruler is flawed. But there is coming a day when the government will rest upon the shoulders of a perfect King — a King who rules in righteousness, whose truth never changes, and whose justice never fails.
The perfect government we long for will never come from Washington, or from any party or policy. It will come only when the rightful King returns. One day, the government will rest upon His shoulders. One day, justice will not bend, truth will not change, and peace will not end. For the King is coming — and His name is Jesus. That is the kingdom we wait for. Not a democracy. Not a republic. But a righteous reign under the perfect King. Until that day, we stand for truth, uphold the law, and prepare our hearts — for the government of man will fail, but the Kingdom of God will never end.
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder… Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end.” — Isaiah 9:6–7
This is the kingdom the world longs for — not a democracy, not even a republic, but a redeemed creation under the reign of King Jesus. Only then will justice roll down like waters and peace fill the earth. Until that day, we defend truth, uphold law, and wait for the return of the only perfect ruler this world will ever know.
The King is coming — and with Him, the perfect government at last.

“NO KINGS” Rally

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They march beneath banners that cry, “No Kings.” They claim to defend democracy, to save it from tyranny. On the surface, their demand sounds noble: no one should rule by decree, and no one should stand above the law. Every American can agree with that.
But listen closely and you’ll hear something deeper. The people leading these protests are not calling for liberty under law; they are calling for power that bends instantly to the will of the crowd. They want government to move with emotion rather than principle, with public feeling rather than truth. In their world, legitimacy comes from popularity, and policy changes whenever enough people shout.
They are not seeking to restore the republic our founders built. They are seeking to replace it with direct democracy—a system where emotion and numbers outweigh wisdom and process. They want a government that promises protection from every hardship and provision for every desire, a government that manages conscience, commerce, education, and morality alike.
The cost of that vision is the loss of a republic and the rise of a democracy of appetite. In a democracy, the majority rules. In a republic, law and conscience rule. In a democracy, rights come from the state. In a republic, rights come from God and cannot be taken away. In a democracy, emotion rewrites the law. In a republic, law restrains emotion. In a democracy, people live by permission. In a republic, they live by principle.
John Adams saw this danger centuries ago: “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.” He understood that when people vote for comfort instead of character, when they expect government to replace God and conscience, freedom collapses under the weight of its own desires. Athens proved it. Rome proved it. Every nation that traded responsibility for relief ended with rulers who called themselves servants.
The protesters cry, “No Kings!” yet what they truly seek is rule without restraint—a crown worn by the majority instead of by a man. They do not see that the republic they scorn is the very shield that protects their right to protest. If their vision prevails, that shield will vanish, and what replaces it will not be freedom, but feeling.
The answer is not silence or surrender. It is remembrance. A republic survives only when its people know the difference between liberty and comfort, between self-rule and self-indulgence. It endures when citizens govern themselves before demanding to govern others.
America does not need another revolution. It needs restoration—a return to the truth that law, not passion, must rule; that rights come from the Creator, not from the crowd; and that the only throne strong enough to sustain freedom is not in Washington, but in heaven.
Proverbs 28:2 — “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.”

The Collapse of a Godless Culture

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Is it just me—or do others see it too? America is unraveling, not from a foreign army, but from decay within. Every headline tells the story: Looting sweeps Los Angeles. Shootings surge in Chicago. Migrants overwhelm our systems. Stores flee San Francisco. Schools preach ideology instead of truth. And our leaders boast that “things aren’t as bad as somewhere else,” as though comparing collapse could somehow justify it.
San Francisco—once the crown jewel of the West Coast—is now a city of broken glass and broken souls. New York is on the verge of choosing a Muslim man who promises “free everything,” funded by punishing those who still produce. California calls lawlessness compassion and funds failure by taxing the faithful. We are a nation that celebrates rebellion and calls it progress. We have exchanged the fear of God for the worship of self.
The liberal left preaches a gospel without God—a religion of self-rule. They promise peace without righteousness, compassion without law, and freedom without discipline.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn warned, “When men forget God, the devil takes over the stage.”
And that is exactly what we see. The same voices that riot against ICE for enforcing the law now cry for help when lawlessness devours their freedom. They shout, “defund the police,” then beg for protection when fear visits their door. They trade the truth of God for lies and wonder why their cities burn. When a nation removes God from its conscience, emotion replaces truth, and compassion becomes corruption.
C.S. Lewis once said, “We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
We have become a nation mocking morality yet mourning its absence. Demanding equality but rejecting accountability. Claiming enlightenment while stumbling in darkness. Preach tolerance but cannot tolerate truth, promise heaven but create hell.
What does it look like when a nation truly turns to God for help? The best way I explain it that it is like a person coming clean from addiction. At first, it is agony—shaking, sweating, desperate for relief. Because repentance and change always has pain before it heals. When an addict decides to get free, the body cries out for the poison that is killing it. So too does a godless culture when confronted with truth. It resists correction, mocks conviction, and fights surrender. But those who endure the pain discover what they were always searching for: peace.
History has shown that when a nation turns back to God, it does not happen in comfort—it happens in crisis. It costs pride, and often, it costs blood. It takes courage to admit we were wrong. It takes discipline to rebuild what sin has destroyed. It takes faith to trust that God’s way—though hard—leads to healing.
But when we submit to God’s rule, the fog lifts. The heart clears. And what once felt like restriction becomes freedom. God’s order brings peace. His truth brings stability. His mercy restores what rebellion destroyed.
That is how change begins—Not with slogans or speeches, but with broken hearts bowing before a holy God.

Becoming

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
— Romans 12:2
I listened to a young woman on the news passionately share her “progressive” view of life. She spoke with conviction, certain of her truth — but behind the confidence, I heard something else: emptiness. It made me think back to my younger years, when my own view of life was centered entirely on me.
I voted for what helped me.
I worked for what pleased me.
I chased what made me happy.
Then I got married, and life began to change. My decisions now affected more than myself. My priorities shifted from what I wanted to what was best for my family.
Now, as a grandfather, my view has widened even more. I find myself asking questions I never asked before: What kind of world will my grandchildren inherit? What will truth mean to them in a culture that constantly changes its definitions?
Will they even know what it feels like to speak truth freely — or will fear silence them before they can?
The culture around us is shifting faster than ever. We live in a world where men claim to be women and demand to be celebrated for it. Where the family — God’s first institution — is being dismantled in the name of “progress.” Where morality is treated as a personal choice, and absolute truth is mocked as intolerance.
Our children are taught that feelings matter more than facts. They are told to “live their truth” instead of living in the truth. We celebrate rebellion and call it authenticity. We glorify confusion and call it courage. We redefine words until they lose all meaning, and then we wonder why the world feels so lost.
We have raised a generation that worships visibility over virtue, comfort over conviction, and emotion over endurance. We have become experts at expressing ourselves — and failures at examining ourselves.
And yet, all of this reminds me that life has always been about becoming. Every day, every decision, every influence shapes who we are becoming — by what we believe, what we love, what we tolerate, and what we pursue.
If I hold on to anger, I will become bitter.
If I make peace with sin, I will become numb to truth.
If I seek God’s wisdom and walk humbly with Him, I will become wise.
The truth is this: we are all becoming what we allow.
Look around. Many are becoming entitled — believing the world owes them comfort, success, and affirmation. Many are becoming desensitized — scrolling past evil as if it were entertainment. Many are becoming deceived — convinced that truth can be bent to fit their feelings. And sadly, many are becoming cowards — silent when God’s truth demands a voice.
Proverbs 14:12 warns, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
Dallas Willard once wrote, “The most important thing in your life is not what you do; it is who you become.”
That could not be more true today.
But here is the hope: when you stand on the truth of God’s Word — when you refuse to conform to the patterns of this world — you become something different. You become strong in conviction. You become anchored when others drift. You become a light in a generation addicted to darkness.
Standing on God’s principles will make you stand out — and sometimes that means standing alone. You will be labeled, criticized, and even rejected. But that is the price of becoming different in a world that worships conformity.
So as I grow older, I am learning to ask better questions:
Am I becoming more like Christ — patient, courageous, faithful, and true? Or am I slowly blending in with the noise around me?
Age does not define what we become — surrender does. Every day, God gives us the choice: to conform or to be transformed.
We cannot stop the shouting of culture, but we can choose who we become within it. Our grandchildren are watching. The next generation needs examples of men and women who are not swayed by emotion or trends, but anchored in eternal truth.
And that is why I have told my grandchildren to be heads, not tails — to lead, not follow; to stand when others bow; to walk in truth even when the crowd walks away. Because when we stand on God’s Word, we do not just become different — we become the difference this world desperately needs.

A Generation Without Discipline

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We are raising a generation that believes they deserve everything—without effort, sacrifice, or consequence. They demand freedom but reject responsibility. They want blessings, but not boundaries. This spirit of entitlement didn’t appear overnight—it’s the harvest of years spent avoiding discipline.
In our desire to be “kind,” we spared correction. We replaced hard truth with soft words. We told children they were special, but never taught them that character is forged through struggle. We gave them comfort instead of conviction, praise instead of principles. And now, they cannot bear correction because they never learned that love sometimes says “no.”
The result is a culture where accountability feels like oppression and truth feels like hate. Without discipline, we have produced dependence; without correction, confusion.
Psychologist Jordan Peterson once said, “Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.” It’s a sobering reminder that unchecked behavior in childhood becomes rebellion in adulthood. A generation raised without correction will one day despise authority—and eventually, truth itself.
But discipline is not punishment—it’s love with direction. It teaches humility, gratitude, and self-control. Without it, we create people who feel owed rather than called.
If we want a generation that can carry the weight of truth, we must return to discipline—not as cruelty, but as care. Because a nation that refuses correction will eventually crumble under its own pride.

God’s Grace is Enough

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This morning while reading the words of Jesus, I came to John 17:1 where He said, “The hour has come.” He was speaking of the suffering He would endure — the betrayal, the lashes, the crown of thorns, the weight of the cross, and ultimately His death.
He went to the garden because His soul was heavy, fully aware of the pain that was coming. While His disciples slept, He fell to the ground in prayer. The weight was so great that His sweat became like drops of blood. Alone in the darkness, He poured His heart out to the Father. And when He rose from the ground, His resolve was firm: “Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given Me?” (John 18:11).
Here is the way of perfect surrender. Jesus did not run from what He dreaded; He prayed until His heart was aligned with the Father’s will. Prayer did not remove the suffering, but it gave Him the strength to endure it.
The apostle Paul reminds us of the same truth: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). The trials of this life may feel overwhelming, yet in God’s hands they are never wasted. Christ’s time in the garden led to His strength on the cross — and through His cross came our salvation.
Others who have walked through trial have echoed this same lesson. Oswald Chambers once said, “We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.” And Elisabeth Elliot, who knew suffering well, wrote, “Leave it all in the hands that were wounded for you.”
The garden teaches us where true power is found. Not in escaping hardship, but in facing it with hearts strengthened through prayer and fellowship with the Lord. And the same God who sustained His Son has promised to sustain us: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Whatever cup of suffering we may be called to drink, His grace will be enough, and His glory will outweigh it all.