• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance

John the Baptist was called of God, even before he was born, to be “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” And he did exactly as the Lord had called him to do. He came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And people were coming to him to be baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins (see Matthew 3:1-6).

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father”; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’” (Matthew 3:7-10 NASB1995)

The scribes and Pharisees (and Sadducees, too) of Jesus’ day were skilled at hypocrisy. Jesus described them in this way (see Matthew 16 & 23):

• They do not practice what they preach​
• They do their deeds to be seen by others​
• They love places of honor; they love attention​
• They lead people to hell on the promise of heaven​
• They profess one thing but live the opposite​
• They adhere to religious rituals but not to God’s righteousness​
• They appear clean (righteous) outwardly but inwardly are evil​
• They are full of wicked deeds, greed, hypocrisy and self-indulgence​
• They persecute those who are truly righteous in God’s sight​
• Their teaching is not to be trusted; not to be followed​

Therefore, when John saw them coming to him for baptism he did not trust their motives. He doubted the genuineness of their actions, and for good reason. So he called them a “brood of vipers.” For they were malicious, treacherous, and venomous in their nature and in their actions. And they were deceptive, and sneaky, and those who liked to trap people with their words, and who got pleasure out of causing other people pain.

So, he knew that they were not coming to have their hearts, minds, and actions altered (changed, transformed) via genuine repentance. He knew that they were not wanting God to change them inside and out so that they would escape the wrath of God to come. And so he let them know that genuine repentance will result in the bearing of spiritual and biblical fruit (results, outgrowth). There will be evidence that a change has taken place.

And the same is true for us today. For repentance is not just mouthing words of confession of sin, but it is a change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior. And it is gifted to us by God, as is our faith, as is our salvation from sin. And it has to do with us dying to sin, being changed in heart and mind by God, and us now walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord’s commands, living holy lives pleasing to God, by the grace of God.

And just because you attend services at an institutional “church,” and perhaps you went through the waters of baptism, or just because your parents claimed to be Christians, or you serve on some kind of church committee, that does not mean you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Just because you verbalize faith in Jesus Christ, it does not guarantee you salvation from sin or eternal life with God. We must truly repent.

And the Scriptures make it very clear that if we do not have that change of heart and mind, resulting in a change of behavior, and if sin is still what we practice, and not obedience to God and to his commands, we will not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. And that was John’s point to the Pharisees and to the Sadducees. And that is God’s point to us, as well. For it is not a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ which saves us, but it is obedience to God that results in life eternal with God/Christ in heaven.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Walking in The Light

Based off 1 John 1-2
An Original Work / November 16, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


When I lift up my voice, and
Sing praise unto God,
I will fellowship with my
Lord and Savior, King.
In Him there is no darkness.
He is in the light of truth.
If we walk in His light,
From sin He purifies.

If we repent of our sins,
He’ll forgive us now,
When we humble ourselves, and
Before Jesus bow.
The man who says, “I know Him,”
But does not obey His truth,
There is no truth in him.
In darkness still he’s found.

Do not love the world of sin,
For it is hell bound.
If you follow the world, you’ll
Not in Christ be found.
The world and its desires
Will not last; they’ll expire.
The one who does God’s will,
Receives eternal life.

See that what you have heard from
Christ remains in you.
Then, you’ll remain in Christ, and
In His Father, too.
This is what He promised us –
His eternal life with God.
So, continue in Him, and
You’ll receive a crown.

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Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance
An Original Work / November 28, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Have Christians lost true affection for one another?

It seems that there is a distraction from the things of God among His people, especially His love when it comes to each other. A loss of Godly affection, true brotherly love, the caring for others and any anguish and contrition for harming one another and forgetting what we have been given, to love your neighbor.

Instead Christians, have turned into the type of person who is beyond experiencing guilt, shame, or regret for their terrible actions against others, because all they care about is themselves and nobody else.. They have become ‘remorseless', and 'uncaring', with only the things of self.

A character defined by narcissism with an exaggerated sense of self-importance, looking for others to focus on them and give them worldly 'praise' and 'honor'. Many forget what God in His Word tells us...

1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

2 Timothy 2:24-25
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

What can be done?

Trump admin set to let protected status for 350,000 Haitian migrants expire in February

DHS is offering $1,000 exit bonus and free plane tickets for voluntary departure by February 2026​


The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants living in the United States.

The agency posted a federal register notice stating that the 353,000 Haitian migrants who currently hold TPS will see their status expire in February. TPS protects eligible migrants from deportation and lets them work legally in the United States while conditions in their home country remain unsafe.

"After consulting with interagency partners, Secretary [Kristi] Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS," DHS said in a news release. "This decision was based on a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant U.S. government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests."

DHS told Haitian migrants under TPS to prepare to depart if they have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States.

Continued below.

Feeling down

Please may I ask for a prayer, feeling down. I work two jobs but recently lost a source of income so things are very stretched at the moment. I've applied for and inquired about a couple of jobs recently but haven't heard anything. Please pray for another job thank you

Anglican priest dies in captivity after being kidnapped in Nigeria amid wave of abductions

Amid a rash of mass kidnappings in Nigeria, an Anglican priest in Nigeria abducted along with his wife and daughter has died in captivity, leaders of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion announced on Wednesday.

The Rev. Edwin Achi was kidnapped on Oct. 28 along with his wife, Sarah Achi, and daughter from Nissi village, Chikun County, in Kaduna state. Church leaders did not say how he died, but the assailants had demanded a ransom of 600 million naira ($415,216).

“The Venerable Edwin, who was kidnapped alongside his wife on 28 October, has been confirmed dead,” the Anglican leaders said in a press statement. “His transition is a painful loss to the entire Diocese, the clergy, the church family and all who were blessed by his faithful ministry, humble spirit and unwavering devotion to the service of God. We continue to pray for the release of his wife and daughter still in the hands of kidnappers.”

Days before his death, his captors released a photo of him and his wife along with other captive Christians.

Continued below.
  • Prayers
Reactions: lismore

US military may cut ties with Scouting America, claims 'attack' on 'boy-friendly spaces': report

The United States military may soon cut ties with Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts, amid claims that the youth organization "no longer supports the future of American boys."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will soon look to sever ties between Scouting America and the military, according to an alleged draft memo that has not yet been sent, which National Public Radio reported on Tuesday.

Continued below.
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Roblox serves as 'hunting ground' for child predators, lawsuit claims

Roblox failed to implement safety standards that would've protected an Oklahoma teenager who an adult sexually exploited after meeting through the popular gaming platform, a new lawsuit alleges, as the company faces mounting legal pressure.

The teenager's mother is suing the platform, with the Dolman Law Group filing a lawsuit last Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit is one of several abuse-related lawsuits that have been filed against Roblox in recent years.

The boy, who is one of the plaintiffs, is identified as "John Doe J.H" in the suit, while Roblox is named as the defendant.

The complaint asserts that Roblox has served as a "hunting ground" for child-sex predators for years, claiming it gives them "easy access" to children and fails to screen users properly.

"As a direct result of Defendant's reckless disregard for child safety, Plaintiff has suffered devastating and life-altering psychological trauma," the lawsuit states." His life will never be the same."

Continued below.
  • Prayers
Reactions: Vambram

'Unconscionable': Jailed pregnant women giving birth in cells, report claims

Advocates are calling for action after dozens of pregnant women or their families alleged in a new report that jails in the United States have subjected them to severe mistreatment or medical neglect, including women who gave birth on dirty cell floors.

Bloomberg Law and NBC News published the findings after a year-longinvestigation involving interviews with over 60 people, including a dozen previously incarcerated women.

After reviewing federal civil rights lawsuits from 2017 to 2024, the reporters found at least 54 pregnant women or their families alleged to have been subjected to severe mistreatment or medical neglect. Many of the pregnant women who have made allegations about mistreatment had been locked up for "petty crimes," the report states.

Continued below.
  • Prayers
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Afghan national charged with first-degree murder for National Guard attack

The 29-year-old Afghan national arrested in connection with Wednesday's shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was charged with first-degree murder on Friday, following the death of 20-year-old National Guard Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who immigrated to the U.S. in 2021 and recently settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children, was upgraded from initial assault charges following Beckstrom's death, authorities said.

Beckstrom, a West Virginia National Guard member deployed to the capital for security operations, succumbed to her injuries late Thursday at a local hospital, President Donald Trump confirmed in a statement.

The second victim, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical but stable condition at George Washington University Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Continued below.

Trump terminates orders signed by Autopen during Biden administration

"I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally."

We can't have a country where unknown people issue presidential orders.
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram

The Electrical Nature of the Universe

Conventional teaching is that the sun and stars obtain their energy by nuclear reaction, that is: atoms splitting to become less complex elements, thereby releasing energy. However there are several things about that theory that cannot be explained, such as: how can this continuing reaction be controlled, so as not to totally explode and disintegrate? Why isn’t the sun just a dead ball of helium by now, or at least showing signs of degeneration? Why do the stars have coronas – something not associated with nuclear explosions?

The fact is that the stars consist of plasma, at least on their surface, which is a kind of fourth state of matter. On earth we are familiar with solid, liquid and gaseous forms of matter. Ice, water and steam are examples, but we witness lightning and can produce plasma effects in the laboratory, both are high energy states where electrons are so excited that they leave their atoms. Our sun is a huge ball of plasma, lacking electrons - it is actually an incredibly powerful positive charge, but free electrons are present in the solar system. This system is just like a capacitor and if anything bridges the gap between the sun and the planets, an electrical discharge can take place. Just the normal, cyclical sunspot activity does this and we have seen many Coronal Mass Ejections, that fortunately have not been large or not directed toward earth. A comet can trigger this effect, as demonstrated by comet Hale-Bopp, that caused the sun to be active for quite a while. CMEs occur when the suns magnetic field is interrupted – called a ‘Zenor breakdown’. This results in a tremendous release of energy and matter [superheated hydrogen plasma] is explosively thrown away to whatever direction the sun is facing at the time.

Our sun is at the centre of a heliosphere that reaches out way beyond Pluto and earth is an integral part of the system, with its own magnetic field. Our magnetic field, the Van Allen belt, protects us from most CMEs; they just cause auroras and some radio interference. However, we have had the bad news that lately, there has been substantial reduction to; and even holes forming, in our magnetic shield. Isaiah 34:4 and Revelation 6:14a, tell of how our protective shield and atmosphere, will be pushed aside by this blast.

The ancient prophet states in Isaiah 30:26-28: that on the Day that the Lord takes action in His creation, to ‘sieve the nations for destruction…the sun will shine with seven times its normal brightness’. [brightness: 'intensity' or ‘strength’] This perfectly clear and understandable prophecy, tells us that a CME of unprecedented magnitude, Joel 2:2-3, directed straight at earth, will fulfill all the graphic, detailed prophecies of how the Lord will reset our civilization – as He did once before, in the days of Noah.
References: www.electric-cosmos.org/sun.htm
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Doing What God Can Bless

November 28. 2025

Deuteronomy 28:8 KJV
The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

My Interpetation:
The Life we live richly blessed .Cannot not be taking from us. Whoever you bgo the blessings of God is always there- Gaurtenteed favor of God amd to receive.

University of Minnesota on Whiteness Pandemic

"If you were born or raised in the United States, you have grown up in the Whiteness Pandemic, and you can play a role in halting and reversing this pandemic, especially if you are White because of the power and privilege you hold in this racialized society. If you were socialized into the culture of Whiteness during childhood it is not your fault, but as an adult it is now your responsibility to self-reflect, re-educate yourself, and act."

This may be helpful in understanding the Minnesota political culture.

GOP lawmaker faces backlash after linking Orthodox churches to Russian 'intelligence operation'

A Republican congressman from South Carolina is facing backlash from his colleagues and some Orthodox Christian leaders after he accused Russia-aligned Orthodox churches of functioning as "intelligence operations" for Russia.

The controversy began after U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., reacted to an invitation for a "Legislative Day of Action" organized by the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in a Nov. 18 post on X.

Characterizing the event as a ploy by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), which he called "not a separate religious organization but an extension of the Russian state," Wilson urged lawmakers not to "entertain this intelligence operation," citing Russia's suppression of evangelism and attacks on Christians in Ukraine.

Continued below.
  • Informative
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Are there still Apostles today?

A little Biblical history and perspective first.

First and foremost is Jesus Christ -

Heb 3:1Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,​


There is the Original 12:
  • Simon (Peter)
  • Andrew (his brother)
  • James (son of Zebedee)
  • John (his brother)
  • Philip
  • Bartholomew (Nathanael)
  • Thomas (Didymus)
  • Matthew (the tax collector/Levi)
  • James (son of Alphaeus)
  • Thaddaeus (Judas son of James, also called Jude or Lebbaeus)
  • Simon (the Zealot/Cananite)
  • Judas Iscariot (the betrayer, later replaced)
Judas was replaced by Matthias - After Judas Iscariot's death, Matthias was chosen by lot to replace him and is explicitly numbered "with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1:26). He is therefore referred to as an apostle. They held a unique position (role) in the Gospels -

Rev 21:14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The Reader will notice that the writers of their Gospels - Luke and Mark were not part of the 12. - yet many refer to them as Apostles


Luke 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”​
The reader will note that the 12 were called disciples when they were with Christ and Apostles when they were sent out -​

Keep reading:

Luke 9:10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.​
Same 12 people - their titles changed from disciple to apostle because they were sent out on a specific journey.
Luke 10:10 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Luke 10:17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”​
EXACTLY the same direction from the Lord - EXACTLY the same authority and results.

Apostle - transliterated - apostolos - a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers):—apostle, messenger, he that is sent.​

Then there is Paul - an Apostle to the Gentiles

Barnabus - Acts 14:4 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out

James - Gal 1:19 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

None will ever be to the level of the 12 -

But there are numbers called by God and sent who bear the Title Apostle who preached the Gospel, cast out demons and healed the sick.

When I think of modern times, I think of Dr. Billy Graham, who preached the Gospel to over 1 billion people - ministered to Kings and President, who's ministry saw tens of millions come to Christ for Salvation.

Glory in His Holy Name

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth.” (1 Chronicles 16:8-12 NASB1995)

We should be thankful to the Lord in all circumstances, in pain and suffering, as well as in times when all is well. For he allows us to go through hard times as well as good times, because the difficult times are for our good, to humble us, to mature us, and to make us more like Jesus in character, in word, and in deed. And we need that pruning to change us and to mold us into the likeness of Christ so that we follow our Lord in his footsteps, and we do what he commands, and we live for him to do what pleases him.

But our thanks and our praise to God for what he has done should be shared with other Christians, and non-Christians, too, for their encouragement. For we all have our good times and bad times because we are human and we live on this earth, and so we are subject to all that is going on all around us, too. Like if the economy goes bad, and so prices soar, if we are not wealthy people, but we live on limited incomes, well we are definitely impacted by that. And that is just one example. So we need encouragement.

But if we are to make known God’s deeds among the people, well at the top of the list should be the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should be sharing with others how Jesus Christ, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – left his throne in heaven, came to earth, was born as a baby to a human (virgin) mother, and was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and not of man. So he was not born with a sin nature as we are. And he never sinned, not once the whole 33 years of his life on this earth.

Jesus left his throne in heaven and came to earth with the ultimate purpose of putting our sins to death with him on a cross, and then being raised from the dead, so that, by faith in him, we will now die to sin and live for God and for his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, in the power of God at work within us. He did not give his life up for us on that cross just so we will verbalize faith in him but while we continue to live in deliberate and habitual sin in disobedience to our Lord. Please know this!

And to seek the Lord and his strength, and to glory in his name, and to sing praises to him, and to speak of all his wonders should never be done superficially and in form only. What we speak of and sing of should come from the genuineness of our hearts in thanksgiving to our Lord for his salvation (deliverance) from our addiction to sin so that, in his power, we can now serve him with our lives in surrender to his will in walks of obedience to his commands. For if we don’t live it, we don’t mean it with all sincerity.

For seeking the Lord is not just about giving him our requests, hoping that he will grant them. Seeking the Lord has to do with us wanting to get to know him, and to know his will and purpose for our lives, so that we will now do what he requires of us in thought, word, and deed – all in his power and strength and wisdom. If we are truly seeking the Lord we will be drawing closer to him in walks of surrender to his will and purpose for our lives, because we love him, and because we want to do what is pleasing to him.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1


As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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Glory in His Holy Name
An Original Work / November 28, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

How to Keep Politics From Colonizing Your Soul...

This holiday season, it is not your duty to educate Aunt Susan.​


We didn’t used to think of the holiday dinner table as a flashpoint for heated family disagreements about health care, abortion, and Donald Trump. But somewhere along the way, we began to…or maybe we were taught to. In 2022, the Biden White House released talking points for correcting your wayward relatives over the holidays. A decade earlier an ad with a young man clad in a plaid onesie who came to be known as “Pajama Boy” was part of a “Healthcare for the Holidays” campaign by Organizing for Action, which was intended to encourage young adults to leverage family gatherings to talk Obamacare with their relatives. The implicit message was this: someone’s humanity now hinges on whether they are on the correct side of the all-seeing eye of History. And, conveniently, that eye always looks out from the side you already occupy.

The holiday that once signaled the beginning of a season of gratitude now signals the time to air our grievances with all of the very wrong things those people across the table from you represent. After the 2024 election and right before holiday gatherings last year, Jimmy Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, spoke on the ‘We Can Do Hard Things’ podcast about how she struggles to deal with her conservative family. “I’m in constant conflict. I’m angry all the time, which isn’t healthy at all,” she admitted. “When I see these terrible stories every day, I’m immediately mad at certain aunts, uncles, and cousins that put him in power. I wish I could deprogram myself in some way.” Sadly, she says she is now estranged from a number of relatives.

McNearney suggests her relatives have been deliberately misinformed even as she says they truly believe what they believe. Yet the broader truth is universal: in a highly polarized environment most everyone is usually adamant that it’s the other side that’s deceived, never themselves, making self-examination a perpetual challenge.

Continued below.

Micro-preemie goes home for Thanksgiving after 18 months in the hospital

After spending a year and a half in the hospital, a family in Queens, New York, is thrilled to finally bring their little girl home in time for Thanksgiving.

Key Takeaways:​

  • A preemie who weighed just over one pound at birth is now joining her family at home, after 18 months in the hospital.
  • Leah Hope Montayes Macias battled many complications, including a heart defect, a brain bleed, pulmonary hypertension, and chronic lung disease.
  • One of her doctors said that her success is a reminder that even the smallest infants have a chance to thrive.

The Details:​

Leah Hope Montayes Macias was born at 24 weeks gestation, weighing just over one pound. Since her birth, the little girl has been at three different hospitals, receiving treatment for a variety of complications related to her early delivery, including a heart defect, a brain bleed, pulmonary hypertension, and chronic lung disease.

That long journey finally came to an end last week when Macias, who is now 18-months old, went home with her family for the first time.

Continued below.

How to criticize the Church so it helps, and so you don’t go to Hell

“Many Catholics find themselves between two bad options: Silencing or Skewering”​

Most practicing Catholics can admit they have struggled with particular decisions or statements coming from Church authorities, or with the perceived priorities of the hierarchy that might seem out-of-step with the life of the faithful “on the ground.”

Loving the Church doesn’t mean being blind to the way she’s in need of reform. Nor does it mean ignoring them. But loving the Church doesn’t mean a kind of destructive criticism either, feeding bitterness, resentment, or rebellion.

So the question becomes clear: how can Catholics of good will, desiring holiness and wishing to see the Church become more holy, engage?

This week some continuing studies gave me occasion to revisit a classic, Cardinal Yves Congar’s “True and False Reform in the Church.”

The book remains unusually relevant.

Written in 1950 and influential for many Council Fathers, including Pope St. John XXIII, the text illuminates the spirit of reform leading into Vatican II, and the perennial question of how the Church discerns and grows. Above all, it offers principles for pursuing reform in a way that actually strengthens the Church’s fidelity to her mission.

Continued below.

Ancient Roman Basilica Emerges From Lake in Turkey After 700 Years Underwater

The ruins of a Roman basilica submerged in a lake in Turkey have resurfaced after spending more than 700 years underwater, revealing a major site from the early Christian world. The structure, long hidden beneath Lake Iznik (Lake Ascania in antiquity), now stands exposed as the lake continues to retreat due to climate change.

A landmark of early Greek Christianity​

The basilica, known as the Basilica of the Holy Fathers, marks the ground where the First Council of Nicaea met, only 12 years after Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire.

In AD 325, Constantine the Greatconvened the council in the ancient Greek city of Nicaea (Greek: Νίκαια), a major Greek city of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). A total of 318 bishops debated for two months before drafting the Nicaean Creed, a Greek-language declaration of faith that remains central to Christianity. Pope Leo XIV visited the site on Friday to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the council.

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