Tenderness and Empathy Prevail in Bisa Butler’s Nostalgic and Vibrant Quilts — from thisiscolossal.com by Bisa Butler and Kate Mothes
On 09/28/2025,
in art, creativity, Emotion, hearts -- matters of the heart, history, relationships, society, sociology,
by Daniel Christian
On 09/17/2025,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, youth,
by Daniel Christian
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
On 09/03/2025,
in Daniel S. Christian, Emotion, ethics, faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, morals/values, relationships, religion, society, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
On 08/24/2025,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, youth,
by Daniel Christian
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
On 08/21/2025,
in ethics, faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, morals/values, relationships, religion, society, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge.
my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
On 08/05/2025,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, history, relationships, religion, youth,
by Daniel Christian
You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
2 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
On 07/27/2025,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, parents/guardians, relationships, religion, youth,
by Daniel Christian
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
On 07/20/2025,
in faith, future, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion,
by Daniel Christian
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.[a]
On 07/14/2025,
in Emotion, faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, parents/guardians, relationships, religion, society, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
On 07/11/2025,
in ethics, faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, morals/values, relationships, religion,
by Daniel Christian
“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
Doxology
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
On 07/04/2025,
in 21st century, culture, Daniel S. Christian, ethics, faith, future, game-changing environment, generational differences, hearts -- matters of the heart, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, morals/values, United States,
by Daniel Christian
In Iowa, Trump Begins Task of Selling His Bill to the American Public — from nytimes.com by Tyler Pager
President Trump has spent days cajoling Republicans to support his spending bill. He will also have to sell it to a skeptical public as Democrats focus on all the ways it helps the wealthy.
President Trump took a victory lap on Thursday night after the House passed his sprawling domestic policy bill, which he muscled through Congress even as many in his party fear it will leave them vulnerable to political attacks ahead of next year’s midterm elections. (From DSC: Which it likely will do just that, and very possibly way beyond the midterm elections also.)
…
Just 29 percent of voters support the legislation, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans supported the bill in that poll, a relatively low figure from the president’s own party for his signature legislation, and independents opposed it overwhelmingly.
From DSC:
Did you get that? Just ***29%*** of voters supported the legislation. But it passed anyway. I’m left thinking…so much for democracy. And I’m also disheartened by the caving of the other two branches of our government. The lack of leadership is staggering. But I guess when you remove all leaders that oppose your way of thinking, you have only Yes men/followers and Yes women/followers left. It’s taken years for the Republican Party to carefully orchestrate the ownership of those other branches. (BTW, I celebrate the handful of Republican leaders in the Senate like Sen. Thom Tillis and in the House who did not cave to Trump and Johnson, but instead voted with their own hearts and minds. They showed true strength of conviction and courage. It will likely cost them, but they can look in the mirror and feel good about themselves and what they’ve done.)
Look out Republicans (and I’ve voted for both Republican and Democrat Presidents in the past). Perhaps July 4th, 2025 will mark the downfall of the Republican Party in America. Time will tell. But I’m hopeful that we can find more common ground.
Regardless, it says a lot about who we, as Americans, are these days — that he’s even in the presidency. I highly doubt he would have been there even a generation or two ago. We’re a nation in decline. It’s been hard to watch this through the years. I’m no saint, but I’m also not the President.
Speaking of matters of faith…I can’t help but wonder what the LORD is doing in this. Is He humbling America or is it something far worse…? He’s justified in whatever He has decided to do. Americans have been dissing Him for decades, while refusing to give Him the credit due His Name. Time will tell my friends…time will tell.
Also see:
…
The House passed a sweeping bill to extend tax cuts and slash social safety net programs. The budget office reported the measure would increase U.S. national debt by at least $3.4 trillion over a decade.
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Also see:
- Trump ignored GOP warnings to gamble on a politically risky bill — from washingtonpost.com by Liz Goodwin, Marianna Sotomayor, Theodoric Meyer, and Emily Davies
In the president’s eagerness to score a win and extend tax cuts, he walked away from a key campaign promise on Medicaid.
To get his bill over the line in time for a self-imposed Friday deadline, Trump pressured Republican lawmakers to set aside their concerns about the political consequences of yanking benefits from voters while adding trillions to the federal deficit.
On 07/01/2025,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, youth,
by Daniel Christian
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Psalm 19:1-2
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
On 06/25/2025,
in collaboration, Emotion, face-to-face, faculty/staff, faith, health, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society, teachers,
by Daniel Christian
Live Your Creed, Langston Hughes — via a recent e-newsletter from Getting Smart
I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one any day.
I’d rather one walk with me than just to show the way.
The eye is a better pupil and more willing than the ear.
Advice may be misleading but examples are always clear.
And the very best of teachers are the ones who live their
creed,
For to see good put into action is what everybody needs.
I can soon learn to do it if you let me see it done.
I can watch your hand in motion but your tongue too fast
may run
And the lectures you deliver may be very fine and true
But I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
For I may misunderstand you and the fine advice you give
But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how
you live.
On 06/12/2025,
in faith, future, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
My brother lost a lifelong friend recently and I’ve lost friends and family members waaaay too soon as well. It made me reflect, once again, on the brevity of our lives here on Earth.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.
Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.