What’s Wrong with the Bible
Yep. I really dared to ask that question. Folks the book that everybody thinks they know probably doesn’t say what you think it does. In the last few years, I have been made aware of many fallacies and interpretive blunders that completely miss the point, often on purpose. Some errors are the result of false assumptions, some faulty interpretation, and some false translations. Some even hit on the core issues of the person and work of Christ.
Popular View Wrong
The popular view is often the wrong view or interpretation. Let’s take something simple.
Proverbs 22: 6. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
This verse means exactly the opposite of what you’ve been told. The false interpretation is based on a wrong understanding of the word “he” in the first clause. For reasons I can’t fathom, the word “he” is assumed to be God. It is not. He in this clause refers to the child not God. It means “if you allow a child to grow up doing what he (or she) wants to do, when they get old, they won’t depart from doing what is right in their own eyes”. In other words, if you won’t discipline a child when they are young, they will persist in their stubbornness when they get old. The point of the verse is that parents should break their children of bad habits not let them have their way or they will grow up into worthless and unproductive adults. Only parental discipline can drive the sin and rebellion from a child.
Dr. Spock convinced a whole generation of baby boom parents that “spare the rod and spoil the child” was a good and desirable outcome. Again, this verse means the opposite.
From Proverbs 13: 24, the actual text is, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
The popular understanding is the opposite of what people thought they knew about the Bible.
Eschatology Assumptions
Walter Martin used to say that “A text, without a context, is a pretext, usually for error.” Dr. Martin was ironically guilty of this error when it came to eschatology. He brought a preexisting grid to Scripture that wasn’t there and then spent tremendous energy trying to find it on the pages of the Bible and recontextualizing the verses that didn’t fit. I like Walter Martin and recommend his book, Kingdom of the Cults, but his premillennial dispensational assumptions were wrong then and are still wrong now.
I’m now going to pick on two passages with which I’m sure Martin and I would disagree.
Matthew 24 beginning at verse 36
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
This section is always put forth as a Rapture passage, but is it?
It will be like the days of Noah (Noe). People will be doing evil things like eating, drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage. Yep, folks will just be living their lives ignorant of the threat they are under and the trouble about to hit them. They knew not until the flood and then people are taken away, just like the Rapture, right? Wrong.
Ya’ll always miss this part, who was taken in the days of Noah? The bad guys not the saints. In the days of Noah, the saints were on the Ark, and the bad guys were taken away by the flood waters. Likewise, when the end comes, two will be in the field, the bad one is taken, and the good one is left behind.
The meek inherit the earth not heaven. Ring a bell anyone?
For dispensationalists, the coming judgment is a worldwide event. However, it is not. In Matthew 24: 16 “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” Yep, you can literally run away to avoid the coming judgment.
Oh, trivia question, how many Christians died in the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.?
Answer: zero. They saw the signs that Jesus predicted and left when the Romans were ready to surround the city. Bet you never learned that in Sunday School.
On two different occasions before the crucifixion, Jesus predicts that you (people in the first century) will see him coming on the clouds of heaven.
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24: 30
And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Matthew 26: 63b-64
Oh, lest you think there is any misunderstanding of Jesus’ claim of coming on the clouds of heaven, look what happens next.
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Matthew 26: 65-66
So, the High Priest would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven and so would those that heard the Olivet Discourse. Jesus is claiming this was a first century event not one preceded by nations deploying thermonuclear weapons, Cobra helicopters, literal barcodes on hands and foreheads, and all the other wacky stuff claimed about the end times.
Jesus quotes the Old Testament frequently. Clearly the High Priest knew the citation that Jesus quoted and what it means. So where is it found?
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7: 13 & 14
This is the passage from Daniel. Please note the following,
Jesus called himself “the Son of Man”
Jesus said he would be seen coming on the clouds. Clouds should make your mind go back to The Cloud in Exodus.
Then notice the direction of travel, Jesus is going up to the Ancient of days which is clearly God the Father.
This is clearly the Ascension of Christ not the Second Coming. The direction of travel is up to the Father, not down to the earth.
Take a look at Psalm 2. This psalm is about the crucifixion, verses 1 – 3. God’s reaction, verses 4 – 6, and the rest is about the Father giving the Son all the kingdoms of the earth.
While not explicitly explained, the rulers of men would know that Jesus was seated at the righthand of the Father, ruling the nations. His judgment of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D. was his vindication that he is ruling now. Jesus promised that “this generation” (the generation of people hearing his words) would not pass away until his words would be fulfilled.
These words are simple and easily understood unless you have preconceptions about what the text says. If your understanding needs verbal and textual gymnastics to fit your construct and then you will never come to the truth.
Purposeful Misinterpretation of the Bible
Sadly, over the years, there has been purposeful tinkering with the texts of the Bible. There are two types of willful changes.
First, some translators refuse to translate a passage correctly because it doesn’t agree with their presuppositions of what the text should say. For example, translators often refuse to translate the Greek word Mello or on the occasions when they translate it, they change the meaning of the word because they can’t make sense of it. It means something is about to happen. Greek time texts are often made future by translators when they are actually true in the present or completed in the past and are being completed or applied in the present.
Second, some passages have been altered to change the meaning to minimize supernatural elements or keep them from applying the Christ. Does your version of the Bible have unicorns, Lilith, satyrs, dragons, shades, and other creatures in it. The Hebrew text does or did. Does your Bible have a young woman will conceive or a virgin will conceive? Folks, rabbis began tinkering with the Old Testament text in the Second Century to reduce the number of Jewish converts going into the Christian Church. Many Christians now defend these changes as the correct translation. King James Bible folks, I’m talking about you. Tradition trumps textual fidelity. Yet another thing that makes claims of Sola Scriptura a hollow claim.
Does your version of the Bible translate Deuteronomy 32: 8 as “children of Israel” or “Sons of God”?
“When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.”
Children of Israel is the altered version, sadly some Christians will fight tooth and nail to defend that bastardized text.
I can cite more examples, but my point is that if you pick up any English translation, it has problems. I’m not saying the Bible is untrustworthy, just that you might exercise a little bit of humility when quoting it. Chapter and verse breaks are not always in the correct spots either. Almost all punctuation has been added by translators too. Usually, they do a good job with that but there are exceptions.
Just one quick example of the challenges of translating Greek. The word “the” in Greek can be written in 24 different tenses. These include, past, present, future, male, female, neuter, singular and plural. My list does not include all the time tenses, but I’m trying to illustrate the complexity of the language.
So, use of the word “the” in Greek could be past, female, and plural; all at the same time. Conversely, the word “a” like a rock, a house, a man, is not in the Greek but always added by translators. Greek has definite article “the” but not indefinite article “a”.
Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses lie when they translate John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was a God.” The KJV gets it right with “… the Word was God.”
Oh, lastly, on the subject of translation, English words change meaning over time. For example, “Keep”, “Let”, “Prevent” all appear in the KJV but mean the opposite nowadays as they did 400 years ago.
Conclusion
My overall point is to have respect for the text and use the tools that we have available to mine the Scriptures for Truth because not everything handed to you on a silver platter is right. Ronald Reagan’s admonition to “Trust but Verify” is true in more parts of life than just negotiating Soviet nuclear treaties.
Trump is Working with Liz Warren on Legislation? Impeach! Kidding
That sound you are hearing is the people’s brains (what’s left of them) at the local CRA chapter exploding on command. How could The Donald choose to work with a far-left crazy liberal?
It’s easy, and it’s something I would advise the Democrats to do more often actually.
If there are two things I wish Donald Trump learned from his first term, it’s that his own party really doesn’t want to work with him (in my humble opinion that has mostly continued to this day), and that Executive Orders are easily overturned by either; the Court, or his successor in office. If these things Trump wants are codified by Congress they become very hard to repeal or replace, like Obamacare. In all honesty, this term for Trump, I can only really think of one piece of legislation (the big beautiful bill) he has used Congress for. Everything else will be easily repealed or undone, before lunch the day his successor is sworn in (assuming it’s not a Republican).
Enter the Democrats in Congress.
Folks it’s painfully obvious that the Republicans do not want to eliminate or replace Obamacare, I could care less what Sean Hannity or any other host on Fox has to say about this. They had a chance, had no plan, and when voted on couldn’t muster the votes. Other pieces of legislation, they show little interest in being of assistance. Trump has actually dealt with a lot of drama in his first year back in office, nearly all of it started by his own party! Tom Massie, Rand Paul, Don Bacon, Marjorie Taylor Green, Lauren Boebert, and a few others have either opposed his moves or made headlines screaming about “the Constitution.” Sure, I hear them on blowing up the “suspected” drug boats in the Caribbean, and arresting Nicolas Maduro, but is that the hill you wish to die on?
Trump made his comments and will be signing (signed?) and Executive Order limiting credit card interest to 10%. I cannot get a reading on his own Party on this, but if he is doing an Executive Order, he likely found out there isn’t much appetite on the GOP side for this. Enter Liz Warren. Warren is a fierce fighter of big banks and the ways they conduct business, resulting in hurting the poor and middle class. Do not get me wrong. She is wrong on quite a bit, but in this case, she sides with Trump. Warren can try to carry this bill through the Senate and get the House on board too, perhaps. It’s a Trump piece of legislation but in this case common ground exists. I have a feeling the GOP won’t want to hear Liz Warren sponsored it, so they will jump on board.
My point of this blog is politics creates strange bed fellows, but also Trump views everything as a deal, and he is not a conservative, he is a populist. Learn the difference! If I was leading the Democrat Party I would quit this impeachment and 25th Amendment nonsense, likely being pushed by far left media types like Matt Dowd used to do, and work with him. He seems willing and ready to deal on almost anything. Think of the possibilities? Democrats may well have a congressional majority next year, rather than sharpening the knives (impeachment and 25th Amendment), why not set the stage for deal making. Hate the ICE raids going on? Maybe strike a deal saying can you only go after the criminals? Leaving the family and day laborer types who are not criminals alone? Maybe cut a deal and say we will speak to the Democrat governors and communicate you only want to get the criminals and will do it for only a couple months? Trump may go for it if he gets an increase in defense spending, or if we can get some serious regulation roll back. Maybe tell Trump you want to see the ships in the Caribbean not blown up anymore, but in a trade, we will let you spend more money to hire inspectors at our ports and border patrol officers?
This already kind of happened in Maryland, Wes Moore, the governor, actually welcomed the FBI and ATF being sent in to work in Maryland. He didn’t want the National Guard, he gave valid reasons as to why. Folks are willing to work with Trump on certain issues, leverage that! Trump has a major say over members of his own party, and an election is coming this year.
Warren is not wrong on this, neither is Trump. Let us see if more deals are made.
The Chief
Catholic Schools are in Big Trouble
One thing that was the topic of the last 3-4 sermons I heard at Sunday Service was that the school is in big financial trouble. This school and church are about 25 years old, give or take, so as far as buildings go they are “brand new.” The school is also at capacity as far as students go, so why is it failing? This blog will focus on several Catholic schools and the problems therein.
There are a couple reasons, first the diocese aka the church’s ruling body with all the money is bankrupt … literally. They can no longer afford to send large sums of money to help subsidize the education of children anymore. The bankruptcy, to remind you, is a result of the actions of many Catholic priests and the subsequent cover-up by bishops and lay people in the diocese. The money has basically dried up.
Both schools I am going to highlight have churches literally on the property! Saint Elizabeth Ann Seaton in Elk Grove, and Saint Patrick’s Academy in Sacramento.
Saint Patrick’s is a tough one. It’s in a very old building that is decaying somewhat. They have a ton of deferred maintenance issues that go along with a very old building. The church is also located in a disadvantaged part of town, so no doubt a lot of students here are likely on a scholarship (I have zero issue with this). This school used to get 800k a year from the diocese, that number dropped to 500k, it’s now below that. My understanding is the tuition money doesn’t even cover salaries payable anymore, and the diocese really cannot assist much due to the pending legal proceedings regarding their bankruptcy. With the school being in a disadvantage part of town, they likely cannot do much in the way of fundraising. Let’s be honest, this school will need proceeds of 10’s of thousands, not a few thousand from a fundraiser dinner. I do feel bad for this school, it’s on life support.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seaton (SEAS) is in trouble because of its own doing. SEAS is located on the premises of Good Sheperd Catholic Church, where I used to attend. It’s a very large congregation. They have 7 masses each weekend! Most have about 4-5. They also claim to be “in partnership” with the church my folks attend (15 minutes away) and the church I now attend (25 minutes away). This partnership is a farce; it is nothing more than a way to guilt trip people into donating money to a school that doesn’t support us at all. We needed youth for our crab feed to serve the dinner … nope; SEAS didn’t even ask their students. Oh, but they do ask us for money! As mentioned earlier, it’s a newer building, and they drew almost all of the young families away from the other two “partner” churches. Why go to church somewhere else when you can go where your kids attend school and they can see their friends.
The Knights of Columbus council at that church is quite large, but they said they can no longer support the school or its needs. Yet, they have a fireworks booth that routinely nets 10k in profit and a crab feed netting in the 22k profit range. Again, no support. It’s up to the other 2 churches to pitch in. Ironic because the students, via their families, are likely buying large quantities of said fireworks and the parents are likely buying tickets to said crab feed. If they only knew!
The issue mostly lies with the administration and staff at this school. They are old school, money hungry, people who care little about anything but. I went there to deliver a check from my Knights group three years in a row for their 8th grade graduation reception. It usually totaled around $300. I was always greeted by both the principal and assistant with a “what do you want” attitude until I opened my wallet to reveal a check, then I was welcomed there. If you ask me, those two jokers are the captains steering the ship directly for the large iceberg. I guess they made a plea to my Knights council for fundraising help, we agreed to give them proceeds from our crab feed, this will total around $5k. But they need tens of thousands at least, this is merely putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot victim.
Recently it has come up, the teachers have to buy their own copy paper to use for the teaching. Not acceptable! I am no fan of teachers but forcing them to pay for their own copy paper is just sad. I am sure it’s a power play by the two office jokers trying to guilt trip, shame, and pressure the congregation to send more money. I can guarantee that no administrator has taken a pay cut or done any cutting to the budget of things they deem non-essential. They did what most who are bad stewards of company money do, spend the entire budget each year, allocating nothing for a rainy day and hoping the money from the diocese keeps rolling in. Things are bad at SEAS, really bad. If the teachers are paying for copy paper, the school may be shutting down soon. The plan appears to be based solely upon praying for large donations from parishioners/parents. I can guarantee that 85% or more of their operating budget is payroll and associated employee costs, this is what happens when you get fat and happy, you don’t spend money on maintenance and updating and you fall into financial trouble.
About that…
I was at the large fundraiser for the school the last 2 years in a row. The amount of money raised was literally bananas. A reserved parking spot went for over 2K. Sailboat tour in San Francisco donated, went for over $3,500. The live auction alone had to have brought in about 30K. Tickets were not cheap, and they had a silent auction as well. This front office group must have spent it all before it was even raised.
In closing, I will say this, it’s a tragedy these schools are headed for a likely shutdown or major changes in the very near future. But I feel like this was what the lawsuits against the Catholic Church were designed to do. I never felt it was about shutting down actual churches; Covid took care of that aspect by thinning the flock. The point was to suffocate any sort of Catholic education/tie to the church. They want these kids all going to public school. It allows them to be taught that there is no God and there are far more than 2 genders. I watch it every Sunday. There are quite a few older people, a large number of young families, but not many between ages 18-35. Coincidentally, that is when most go off to college and are taught religion is a cult. This is a way to strangle the even younger generation. The more people they take out of the pews at church on Sunday, the less money that goes into the diocese to fund things like schools. As a result, the schools close, and over time, churches will start shutting down when the older generation returns to dust. (It’s a biblical term for death.)
If you want more proof, Jesuit High School where I went to school, is in such bad financial shape they are now going to start enrolling girls … it’s historically been an all-boys school. There was no input from alumni, just one large donor. That sound you hear is a large number of donors like me who will be refusing to donate in the future. If a school like Jesuit is struggling, then the other schools are really screwed.
Blogger Note: Jesuit High School is not a Catholic School nor affiliated with the diocese of Northern California in any way. It’s affiliated with the religious order of Jesuit’s.
Reflections on Recent Events
As the year drew to a close, I have become more reflective on events of years past.
Folks, I have a strained relationship with many in my family as a result of their coddling of my sister. One thing that always bothered me was my sister could never do anything wrong in their eyes. They send her money to pay for her “influencer” lifestyle and think she will eventually turn it around, she is 38. At major milestones for my parents such as Christmas, Birthdays etc. I am treated to my parents saying they “just want 2 good kids.” I have always viewed this as a major slap in the face.
I am completely sustainable on my own. I own a home, have a great paying job, and have saved enough that when this job inevitably goes away, I can work because I want to, not because I have too. My sister on the other hand is a convicted felon due to her drug trafficking. Oh, and while on felony probation, she got a DUI in a crash on the way to the airport to fly home. Yes, she couldn’t even hold off on drinking until she got home. She suffered no consequences, no jail time, and very minimal fines. Oh, she still gets to live in San Diego, and my understanding is her apartment is near Coronado (high rent district). She has the perfect life. When we had family functions, I noticed family drifting toward her and away from me, they made their choice! I am the black sheep/persona non-grata.
I have gotten over it, it took some time, but I needed to realize I cannot control how other people think.
The wisdom I want to pass on?
1. Get the toxic folks out of your life. Not having a relationship with my 19 aunts and uncles (including spouses) was tough at first, just like not conversing with my 27 cousins (not including spouses) was hard at first. It gets easier over time; I don’t have Facebook or any other social media and honestly care not to hear the family gossip/goings on. It’s a relief! Trust me. They gravitate toward my sister for a reason, she has never seen a bottle of wine she couldn’t finish, when consequences do not exist, you continue your college days well into your late thirties.
2. Join groups and clubs to fill in your time but be wary of the folks who inhabit them. I made friends with William, thought I was friends with the Sith Lord, Sue, Terry (rip), Jared and others…. Boy was I wrong. I changed my voter registration to No Party Preference and viola, suddenly contact was cut off by the above group. Sith Lord and I were a 2 lunch dates a week kind of friends, then it was over. Sue walked right past myself and a friend at a political function last year. I know she recognized and saw me, because she turned her head quickly as to not make eye contact. Jared? I wrote him a letter of recommendation to be Executive Director of the County Party; he got the job and had no more use for me. Oh, he and the above cast of characters ran a fraudulent voter registration program… kinda sounds like a Democrat operation, right? All William and I were to them were errand boys. Oh, the kicker, they gave Jorge Riley an award after he was arrested for his role in storming the capital on January 6th and filming and posting it to the internet. Riley is the only person there that day that admits to purchasing a weapon specifically for the event. Riley never assisted with GOTV calls, or precinct walking, and there were rumors of having kid(s) out of wedlock and not being the greatest about paying support… but hey, at least he is registered Republican! My wisdom? Look at folks in volunteer groups with a jaundiced eye, you are likely just cannon fodder to them.
3. Limit your time in front of the TV. This one is easy; I harp on it a lot. Most of the shows on TV are behind society’s decay this day and age. Rioting when you don’t get your way, sleeping around while married, and viewing fantasy as real life are big problems. Folks, the real world, is not depicted on the TV, it’s fantasy land. Nowadays, TV consists of people screaming hot takes, whether it’s politics, sports, or gossip to get higher ratings. The problem is, it also gets whackos to do irrational things, such as killing Charlie Kirk, killing the Democrat elected in Minnesota and injuring another, attempting to kill Trump… the list could go on. TV, as a whole, is very unhealthy right now. Matt Dowd (colossal loser btw) said dumb stuff on TV and that indirectly led to Charlie Kirk being murdered. Sure, Dowd denies all culpability, but in my mind, he is just as guilty as the shooter. My wisdom? I cancelled cable 8 years ago after a bad breakup with a girlfriend. The first couple weeks were a little tough, then I realized that I do not miss it. Better yet, I came to realize my life was revolving around “what was on TV” as opposed to dealing with the real world. I’m better for it; you will be too.
4. Limit your use/consumption of vices. This one is pretty simple, but it almost got me. Gambling, drinking, and drugs are all bad for you. All three are very expensive hobbies to take up and will lead to wrecked lives. I have a friend whose parents dissolved their marriage after 30 years due to one person’s gambling addiction. She literally spent all the money from both paychecks each month. They couldn’t pay the mortgage. They were a retired prison guard, and retired state worker. They had money, not broke folks trying to “double their paycheck on red.” Drugs are a rough habit and got my sister in deep legal trouble. I failed the bar exam, if you know, you know.
5. Be true to yourself. Again, this sounds simple, and it is, yet I know several folks who refuse to do it. Being true to yourself just means be who you are, don’t try to be someone you are not. This is the root cause of 90-day Guy’s “mental health issues.” When you tell a different story to each person you see and take on a different persona in every room you walk into it’s very hard to keep the story straight. Worse yet, you stumble up and tell the wrong person the wrong story contradicting what you said in the past. Imagine the mental gymnastics going on in his head, constantly wondering what story he told who and how to keep the gimmick going. My wisdom? Be who you are, quit trying so hard to be someone you are not, and don’t you dare blame mental health.
6. Stop blaming other people for your own mistakes. I know it’s easy and fun to blame a person who is not in the room. Heck it’s even in style these days. These people are the worst; it’s never their fault, always someone else’s. I have witnessed these folks blaming every friend they have, even their own spouse, for something that is their fault. They are insecure and love pointing the finger. They think it’s a genius idea, but they couldn’t be more wrong. My wisdom? If they are throwing other people under the bus in front of you or have nothing good to say about other people in front of you, you are getting the same treatment from them when you aren’t in the room. Proceed with caution.
7. Stop comparing yourself to other people. One thing I have found out is the “very hot girl, with the boyfriend” both seem so happy. You imagine that you want that for yourself. Then you find out they are not happy at all. Outside of the bedroom, and her being hot to show off like a trophy, they are not happy at all. I noticed a couple at my gym, they seemed happy and close. Well, she is pregnant and now he doesn’t look so happy. I am sure things will work out (pun not intended) but the lack of rings on either’s finger tells me they gambled in the bedroom and got (un)lucky? And as a result, they will be parents and may not be ready or so much in love anymore. That person driving the expensive car? Well, they likely have a very high car payment each month, how long can they afford the payments? The guy who claims to have a huge bank account, yet his card is declined when paying for lunch/dinner? Yeah. My wisdom? 2008 taught us a lesson, we didn’t learn (or is it lear?) anything.
People were living a lie; it has started again. Be happy with what you have or better yourself. You never really know how happy that other group of people is.
8. Don’t dwell or even remember the past in your life. You can learn from it but bringing up things in a sense of woulda, shoulda, or coulda is not healthy.
It’s also very irrational. Gas was cheaper last week. Well, you may not have needed it last week. Ditto with food and other items, it’s in the past let it go. Dwelling on that doesn’t change anything. Life events happen; regret should never be a thing. My wisdom? 2 things. When I failed the bar exam, the best advice I got was from someone I barely knew, he said “get into a car with a gas pedal, no mirrors, and no brake pads.” Why? Keep moving forward in life, don’t look back and do not stop. Dwelling on the past likely leads to anger, hatred, and other unnecessary things. One thing I live by is “a setback is a set up for a comeback.” Don’t make the same mistake. Rebuild your life and things will be fine. My favorite thing about this came up a couple weeks ago. My old roommate called and reflecting on our past in college he said “man you should have approached ______ she was gung-ho about you, and you passed? How come.” My response was simple, I was fixated on someone else at the time, enough said. As far as had I approached her, let’s just say everything worked out. She is a specialty nurse who works in SF, makes quite a bit of money and has 3 kids. Seems like a no brainer, right? I screwed up right? Wrong. Sure, the money would be great, kids would be great, I would be miserable living in that area. I would never have crossed paths with the friends I made in politics or church in this area where I live. That is why I do not look back on my life and psychoanalyze everything. I think for myself, I do not need to impress my friends.
9. Get God in your life.
No, I’m not saying to start quoting Scripture or standing on the side of the road trying to “spread the word of God.” It’s about right vs wrong and good vs evil. If you have some sort of religious guidance in life, you will see that what I am preaching in this blog is pure common sense.
The Chief
January 2026 Update
Here’s some things that I’m involved with over the next several months.
Annulment
The year started with attorney Mario doing absolutely nothing. After my girl bugging him for a few weeks, she was finally told that he was waiting on his second payment before doing any more work on her case. (The psychologist had given him the final report on December 9th of last year. The proverbial ball has been squarely in Mario’s court since then.) She reminded him that he had already been paid. She looked it up and this happened in the first week of October. Mario verified it in his records and confirmed that he had his first two installments and thus, finally has set to work. Mario is finalizing witness statements and has promised to get us a court date next week.
Mario has the same ethics as a north Idaho contractor, as long as money is flowing then he works, when the account gets paid too far forward, then he stops and goes on to something more lucrative. It’s cash flow baby, not completion that matters.
Anyway, we are five months into what should have been a six month legal process.
Taxes for 2025
My tax appointment with the local CPA is February 2nd. I am currently missing two documents. I have requested both but whether they arrive by the end of January is unknown.
One that is causing me consternation is CalSTRS. They managed to split one retirement income into three Form 1099’s. I am unable to get any numbers on the retirement income that was collected at the beginning of 2025 since that was treated as my wife’s income. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, they updated their computer system in September and deleted all online accounts. Since my wife was reported as deceased in April, her SSN is blocked from creating an account in their new system. I don’t particularly mind this, but they wouldn’t give me the numbers over the phone when I called. Instead, I had to get a special form off their website and then request the information. (of course, the proper way to return their form was via fax. Like who else uses a fax nowadays?) They didn’t even have her 1099 scheduled to mail to her address on record. Typical California government B.S.
Ring by Spring
After the tax mess is put behind me, I will pivot to getting the requisite diamond ring. I was really hoping that she would opt for a ruby but since I already bought one of those for her, she said that she wants a diamond ring. Yes, dear. I had planned to get the ring at D.J.’s in Woodland but since I have been excused from the big wedding in February, I have no plans to head that way. I found a place in Coeur d’Alene that will probably get my business instead.
May Flowers
If the good Lords wills; I will head to the land of 7,000 islands in May. I plan to be there about six weeks. We will do the blessing ceremony while I’m there. I’m sure we will have a discussion about whether to report said ceremony to the government but likely won’t because it will make us ineligible for the K1 visa option. Thus, look for the reenactment of the blessing ceremony stateside in 2027. If I lack the finances in May, then the backup time will be in July.
On the Home Front
Currently, I am taping the sheetrock in the garage. I have been working on the north wall. I don’t really know what I am doing but my goal is to make it look better and then hit it with a primer coat of paint.
Additionally, I am trying to critter proof the place while all the insects are dormant.
My other goal is to waterproof the wall between the guest room/craft room and the garage. Due to the lack of our contractor’s concrete skills, the garage drains to the center of the slab and not out of the door openings as it should. Every time a vehicle enters the garage after driving in rain or snow, all the water dripping from the underside runs toward the wall and is absorbed by the sheetrock. If there is enough water, it also goes under the wall and pools in the wall area. I can make an argument that a floor drain might help but putting one in without messing up the floor coating in the garage is more money than I can afford right now. Thus far the winter has been mild, and I’ve put enough caulking down that it should be ok … but we will see.
Almost every room in the house is missing some trim or in need of more caulking, especially around the door frames and windows.
The following work still needs to be done:
- Trim around tongue and groove ceilings
- Backyard fence
- Minisplit in garage—leak fix
- Bridge between second floor of house and garage
- Vent hood in house is not retracting properly
- Storage and organization in the garage
- Complete closet in the house
- Upstairs closet in garage needs barn door
- Complete stairwell in garage
So, as you can see, I have many irons in the fire. My girl gets top billing but there is much to keep me busy.
Trump Slashes Credit Card Interest to 10% … That’s a bad thing
How is it a bad thing you ask? Easy, credit counseling, not credit interest rate cuts are needed. One thing I do agree with Sen Elizabeth Warren on is banks and credit companies take advantage of some of the most downtrodden and down on their luck individuals. They also prey on folks who should not even have a card to begin with.
Folk’s it may sound anti-business, but I do not think it’s right for a credit card company to be on a college campus hawking its products. Students, by and large, do not have an income, this is purely designed as a trap. Give them a card with $500 or so limit, get them to charge a bunch of fast food and booze, then tell them the minimum payment is all that’s required. Then when they hit the limit, either raise it, or charge over the limit fees. Then the higher interest kicks in and the minimum payment doesn’t even touch the principal. Countless lives have been ruined by these cards. Adults, families, and college age people by the way, credit cards do not discriminate.
So why is it bad to lower interest rates? It’s temporary relief, not the answer to the question. We are, in essence, rewarding bad behavior. I know some folks will be able to pay these cards off, but many more should also be closing them out. Pay in full and close them out? HA. This feels like an excuse to keep people spending once paid off, due to low interest rates compared to what they were paying. Not everyone needs to go to college and not everyone needs a credit card.
What do people need?
Credit counseling. Its not allowed in school as part of a budget class because it was deemed racist by the older generation. Not sure how budgeting is racist, but that maneuver has created a massive issue with the younger and some older generations. Credit cards, especially store cards, are far too easy to come by. While I do not think the interest rate should be allowed to touch 35%, I am not sure what the maximum should be.
On cards, I stick to what Dave Ramsey says; in essence you do not and should not need one. If you get one or more, like I have, be sure to pay them off in full each month, never spending more than you should. Differentiate between a need and a want. Sure, the points or miles are cool, but no one has gotten rich of credit card points… no one. Sure, it’s nice to earn a couple few hundred a year, but I do not have credit cards for that reason. Yes, its true people who get credit cards often overspend to earn extra “points” just remember folks 5% in rewards is $.05 per dollar spent, it’s not like you are coming out ahead.
My bigger issue is Donald Trump cannot do what he wants to do legally. Sure, he can sign an Executive Order, but will it stand the test of time? It appears to me to be blatantly unconstitutional. Time will tell, I guess.
My final thoughts are why do we no longer teach people about credit? Dave Ramsey is spot on when it comes to this. It’s the same with pay day lenders, pawn shops, and hard money lenders. Folks need to know what they are getting into, in the form of a class, via the internet or in person. Folks need to know how these financial vehicles work and what they could end up paying, not in the form of legal mumbo jumbo on their bill.
The Chief
Trump had a Good Day (01/07/26)
Bloggers note: No way was this going to be posted the day I sent it to William due to an earlier blog submission. Any changes after today will create a retraction to this story.
The day didn’t start well as a woman was killed by ICE Agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I will state I am never happy to hear anyone getting killed by authorities. There is more to this story, I am sure. If the ICE agent was in the wrong throw the book at him; however, I have a sneaky suspicion the person no longer with us was no saint in the matter.
On to the good parts.
First Trump is going to ban defense corporations from using government funds to buy back stock and pay dividends unless they make serious changes to manufacturing capacity and research. Here is some info below….
President Donald Trump said he would move to block U.S. defense contractors from paying dividends or repurchasing shares unless they significantly increase spending on manufacturing capacity and research, remarks that sent shares of major arms makers lower.
In a social media post Wednesday, Trump also called for sharp limits on executive compensation at defense companies, saying pay should be capped at $5 million until firms construct what he described as “NEW and MODERN Production Plants.” He argued that contractors are failing to produce and maintain military equipment quickly enough.
Defense companies “are currently issuing massive Dividends to their Shareholders and massive Stock Buybacks, at the expense and detriment of investing in Plants and Equipment,” Trump wrote. “This situation will no longer be allowed or tolerated!”
Folks to put it lightly, this needs to happen, and I hope it does. By no means am I insinuating that we should be stockpiling for war, we do need increased capacity to build war machines faster and more efficiently. The bottom line is that times are far different from fifteen years ago. We must be vigilant that war could break out in the not-too-distant future. Folks, the 90-day people amongst us will be angry but why should our taxpayer dollars go towards bloated executive compensation, stock buybacks, and dividends? That tells me we are being grossly overcharged. Why is it that everything to the older generation must be based on the almighty dollar and how big my bank account is? To be clear, I am not saying, and neither is Trump, they shouldn’t be allowed to make money, but look at the profits these companies are churning out.
More from Hegseth…
The criticism fits a broader theme of the Trump administration’s approach to the defense industry. In November, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized what he described as a slow and inefficient procurement system, arguing that weapons programs are often over budget, delivered years late and sometimes outdated by the time they reach the field.
Over budget, years late, and obsolete is not going to win too many wars.
The second thing is he wants to ban private equity/institutional investors from buying homes.
President Donald Trump said he would ban Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes in an effort to ease the affordability crisis that’s plaguing the housing market.
“For a very long time, buying and owning a home was considered the pinnacle of the American Dream,” Trump said in a Jan. 7 post on the social media site Truth Social. “I am immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and I will be calling on Congress to codify it. People live in homes, not corporations.”
Institutional investors, such as Blackstone, have been reliably buying and renting out single-family homes since the 2008 financial crisis locked many Americans out of the mortgage market.
First-time homebuyers are suffering as housing has remained scarce and increasingly expensive. They made up a record-low share of all buyers in the most recent year, and the average age of a first-time buyer jumped to 40, according to an industry analysis.
Folks, I just turned 40. I have owned my home for over 10 years. I cannot fathom not being a homeowner until this age … but … the older generation has made it their mission to make it so my generation and the ones below it will never own a home. They started allowing these large corporations to buy homes with the only intention being to rent them out. In some places, like near Atlanta, entire communities are owned by these firms. They rent them out at top market rate, and when they are able, the rent is “raised to current market standards” regardless of their relationship with the tenant. Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep the rent increases manageable for a tenant you like, that will maybe take care of the property or at least not let it get run down? I would think so. As a result, it’s a “turn and burn” scenario for the renter. One of these outfits, Invitation Homes, bought a home about 5 doors down from me. The tenant has turned over 3 times in a 26-month period, and it currently sits unoccupied. The tenants also left a lot to be desired; the first was three generations of a Filipino family that moved in. Nothing against any race, but wouldn’t you consider it a bad sign 3 families are required to make rent each month? They quasi converted the garage into living quarters for the youngest family of 3. They lasted the longest. Next was a young Hispanic family, that lasted about 8 months. The last was a young black couple, they lasted about 2 months. In regard to the black couple, it sounded like the marriage was on ice and that was likely the reason for the short stay. As I note, it has sat vacant for about 5 months now. I predict it will sit for a while. The corporation can likely use the vacancy as some kind of write off, and they likely have the attitude of the 90-day guy and say “why take less than what we think its worth?”
The other big problem, first time and even not first-time homebuyers normally have a liquidity issue., They need to get the money together for the downpayment and sometimes have other contingencies … Selling their current home (if not a first-time home buyer). These corporations have none, their only ask is “where do we wire the money.”
These are both very good policies, with the second being probably my favorite of his term so far. Keep it up!
Chief
Oh, wait until I tell you about the healthcare issue in this country. BTW it ain’t Obamacare.
2026 Goals and Gripes
GOALS
My big goal for 2026 is to tie the knot with my special lady. Of course, I have a few obstacles to get out of my way first.
The biggest of these is to survive filing my 2025 taxes. Last year was a train wreck in terms of what it cost. I think this year will be better since I upped the withholdings. I will know February 2nd when I visit my tax man.
Then there is “the ring.” “One ring to rule them all …” comes to mind. My girl wants a diamond, I was hoping she would be happy with a ruby but have been overruled. I think I have a plan to get this done, but given the price of gold lately, this might be a pricey transaction. Such is life.
Then comes the ceremony. This will be a frugal event, but it will be great. The biggest issue is how to feed the guests. I have a venue in mind but of course my plan may not be hers.
By the time these things are ready, I figure it will be May. Then my last obstacle will be where to warehouse my dog for about six weeks. I have an idea, but I will see what happens. Frankly, this is the costliest part of going on a trip. If I can do better than $25 per day, then I will be happy.
GRIPES
As of this writing, I still have a few sour people trying to dump all over me and my girl. My mom doesn’t understand why I can’t find a white girl in the U.S. of A. She and some other family members have told me that it is even wrong of me to look. They literally have said that I should ignore seeking another relationship and God will bring someone in my life. I tried that with the first wife, and it took over 20 years. Translation, be alone and happy you’re not married. Why is it that married people keep telling single ones to be happy they aren’t married. Sounds to me like they have impaired judgement in selecting a life partner not me. I loved being married and want to do it again.
As always, zero people have put forth zero suggestions as to who I should pursue for marriage. Even back when my parents asked me to divorce my first wife, they had no suggestions as to who could do a better job. The bottom line is that they just like to find fault, point out what they feel are the shortcomings of others, and tear down others that they find inferior. How this builds them up, I’m not sure.
I had weird conversation with my sister the other day. I tried to explain my relationship with my girl and said that if the church is in charge of marriage, then I am walking on solid biblical ground in our relationship. She got hostile and denied that either the church or State was in charge of marriage. Instead, she claimed it was the Bible. The Bible in a vacuum with no institution underpinning it!
I tried to say that God had put the Church in charge of marriage, and she flat out denied it, stating that I was wrong. (I am most certainly correct. See Ray Sutton’s book Second Chance.) Then, she started to accuse me of adultery and began to lecture me that if I went to a Bible believing church then I would know the truth. She had gone over the logical cliff by then and kept going. I was sure the Roadrunner would pop up any second with the sign reading “Gravity” but he never materialized.
Good grief!
God created four governments and marriage must belong to at least one. Here are the choices of biblical government: Self, Church, State, Family. I believe that Christ has given marriage to the church.
My former church believes that marriage belongs primarily to the government and in a secondary capacity to the church. They would deny this but look at how they act. Deeds are louder than words; especially, when the actions don’t align with the words.
This example is true, but I am changing the names and some minor details because they don’t matter to the point I am trying to make.
Steve and Laura joined the church several years ago. They have three small children. Steve was highly regarded by the clergy and was a promising young guy that they wanted to make into an Elder in the congregation. It didn’t happen but …
As time when on, Steve started seeing Zelda, a coworker, on the side. The wife found out and Steve moved out to cohabitate with Zelda. Laura files for divorce. Then the church holds a trial and excommunicated Steve. Once the divorce is finalized in the family law court, Laura is then pronounced from the pulpit as eligible to remarry as the innocent party in the relationship.
Why did the church defer to State action? You can only conclude that marriage belongs to the State. The State gives you a marriage license and licenses officiants so marriage must belong to them. The church has a minor and secondary role in marriage. In fact, a church is really not necessary to get married, it’s just a tradition that the State allows.
Thus, a church that gives lip service to Sola Scriptura doesn’t really believe it. If they believed the Church is biblically charged with administering marriage, they would not wait for the State. State action is irrelevant. They would not wait for Laura to file for divorce. They would try Steve without waiting. Furthermore, they would have simultaneously pronounced judgment on Steve and announced Laura, as the innocent party, eligible to remarry.
Biblically, the State has no part in marriage and until about 1900, they didn’t. Only when local governments began seeking additional income did licensing marriage become a thing. It was originally for the purpose of taxing marriage that it began to be licensed. But now that the church allowed the State to take over marriage, does the current situation exist.
Folks, just because this happened doesn’t make it right, but when your church denies the applicability of biblical law to the State, what do they have left? Such clergy agrees with Gavin Newsom that they are nonessential workers. This is how you know, no matter how nice the pastor might be, that in the final analysis that he is a hireling and not really a shepherd.
Once the State takes something away from the Church, it always belongs to the State.
Folks, the devil gets lots of credit in our society for taking stuff away from the church, but the truth is even more sinister, the church simply cedes the ground to the devil and usually without a fight. You know how you always get mad at Republicans for surrendering to Democrats and getting nothing in the bargain, ditto for the church. Unilateral Capitulation.
People that believe marriage belongs to the church are happy that I have found someone to love. Those that think marriage belongs to the State think I’m a notorious sinner because I assert that I don’t need to wait on the government to get their paperwork caught up with reality to date my girl or, gasp, marry her.
Oh, the other issue involved in my situation is that one part of the body of Christ doesn’t recognize any part of the body but their own denomination. The Apostle to the Gentiles was clear that all the parts are knitted together by the Holy Spirit but one body. Again, my former church claims to be Sola Scriptura but doesn’t believe this either. They want the right to sit in judgement over a church in another country because their method of baptism or whatever isn’t the same as theirs. BFD.
Folks, when you impose any presuppositions onto the Bible, be they cultural or eschatological, you will never rightly divide the Word of Truth. Your presuppositions get in the way.
In about a year, this will all get sorted out. When it does, you will find me standing near Charlie Kirk, Mark Steyn, and a few theologians that are or should be household names. I’m not right, I’m Really Right. I’ve stated this before; I have a plan, I’m working the plan, and it will be alright in the end. Just give me the grace to get there.
The Mental Health Card was a Lie
The 90-Day Guy lied. I have irrefutable evidence of his lie. Mental health is not a sympathy card and f**k you if you are using it as one.
How do I know he is lying? An aunt of mine who worked as a primary care doctor, and a surgeon, was over for Christmas. I asked for her expertise on this subject.
I told her what he had told me, that he told his doctor he was suicidal and had even picked out the knife to kill himself. She said the doctor is obligated at that point to make a call to the health and human service or related county/state department. She added that her medical malpractice insurance would not pay out if he had killed himself and she didn’t notify the correct channels. She went on to say he would be required to see a specialist for an evaluation. I told her he went once or twice then quit going, for money reasons. It’s always money with him, all the time. She told me that’s a lie also, as the appropriate channel/group would have forced him to attend, again being suicidal is a big deal this day and age with all the mass shootings done by them.
I further prodded, William will tell you it’s what I do, and her further responses crystalized his lying. She said mental health is a huge thing right now and most insurance covers it 100%. This is due to different laws passed as result of these shootings/killings. She said she had a feeling about what he did, I let her speak freely. Full disclosure, she is from Illinois, but I feel the laws/regulations on the books are likely similar or the same to California, where I am based. She said I can guarantee he went to an urgent care doctor, someone who is not his primary care doctor, he went in wanting to be diagnosed with a mental condition, and he won. Her words and I quote “he squealed to a doctor who is not his own and got put on a pill that will not fix his issue, it’s a here you go drug.” It’s a cover your butt, here you go, I guess you have a condition because you say you do. He went to an urgent care doctor because the doctor has plausible deniability, he can claim he sees a ton of patients each day, insured or uninsured he doesn’t know. It’s a free pass. That doctor was done with him after payment was processed that day, he got what he wanted.
He claims its anxiety when my phone’s alert for a call is coming in or a text is incoming bothers him; however, the sounds at the local casino do not. He gets off on things like this; it’s a sympathy card to him. It’s wild. When things do not go his way, it’s a mental health thing, yet he seeks no treatment. He is a liar.
There you have it folks, it’s been proven, truth always wins out. If you claim mental health and are lying about it, you are the lowest of the low. Actually, I’ll use a term the young people use: SYBAU … it’s an acronym for shut your bitch ass up. People with mental health issues need our help, not people who want to fake it.
The Chief
They Want Me Back or Else
If you’ve ever changed cell phone carriers, insurance companies, or anything else that uses your wallet as a monthly income stream, you know that they won’t let you leave without some type of protest or incentive to stay with them. Tried cancelling a credit card? Ditto.
What about when you leave a church?
Yep, they will contact you with a we want you back letter too. I got a “Are you sure?” letter emailed to me following my departure from my former church.
Note: in the quotation below, reference to “the Session” is the church board responsible for discipline.
My response in part was:
I feel very violated by the tactics used by the Session. The Session has broken the trust that I had with the church, interjected itself into a situation with zero biblical cause, and attacked my character by its actions. It acted in a heavy-handed and prejudicial way that was completely unnecessary. If you guys really cared about me, then the Session would never be involved. It is the wrong mechanism to use if helping me was really your intention. Furthermore, the Session has become an immovable barrier to any hope of my reconciliation with Providence.
I then asked to be removed from their membership rolls.
I thought this was the end of the matter but then got another follow-up email.
The latest email asserts the church’s right to intervene in my life. They go on to accuse me of breaking my membership vow before God because I don’t like the way they handled their inquiry of my life. The letter asserts that I must submit to their inquiry and any subsequent discipline. They then say that I can’t resign until they decide that I can. The letter then concludes with an invitation to repent and show up at their next meeting.
And they wonder why I said their tactics were heavy-handed? The letter is clear that I submit or risk hell fire and judgment, their judgment anyway.
Again, I don’t want to start down a path that is likely a prelude to a witch hunt.
We’re on another witch hunt, looking for evil wherever we can find it
Off on a tangent, hope the Lord won’t mind it
Another witch hunt, takin’ a break from all our gospel labor
On a crusade, but we forgot our saberWitch Hunt by Petra (1985)
If someone there had or has a concern, then I was willing to answer their questions, but repeatedly said that I don’t want to get involved with the disciplinary board of the church. I have attempted to avoid that and told several of its members that I do not wish for their formal involvement in my personal life. Yet that is their unwavering demand.
It is funny that their letter quotes Matthew 18 in defense of their actions. If you read the denomination’s Book of Discipline, the church board is exempt from following Matthew 18 where it says
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
When the church board initiates proceedings, as in my situation, they conveniently skip over verses 15 and 16 and jump straight to 17.
What “trespass” have I committed? They don’t know but there has to be one somewhere.
Who came to me to complain about a “fault.” Nobody.
Thus, nobody subsequently came with two or three witnesses before going before the church. Nope, we just jump to the last step. Again, I have not been accused of anything but surely, I must be guilty of something.
And then they wonder why I have an issue with their tactics!
I have done nothing wrong, but the presumption is that I have and these guys need to get to the bottom of it so they can straighten me out.
This is a no-win scenario. This is the exact reason that I resigned my membership.
Furthermore, in issues of relationships, marriage, and divorce, the board does not believe in the right of the church to oversee these matters but defers to the State. They only affirm the actions of the State.
The following is a real example; I have changed the names.
Joe and Jane were a married couple at the church. Joe started seeing another woman on the side. The church board put Joe through the discipline process and ended up excommunicating him. As all this was happening, Jane initiated divorce proceedings. Later, Jane began dating another man in the church. The Board scolded Jane and her new boyfriend for dating. Months later, the family law court granted Jane’s petition for divorce. The board then announced that Jane was eligible to remarry. Now she could be public about seeing her new boyfriend.
Folks, if marriage is really the sole purview of the church, then why wait to say Jane was eligible to remarry? Why not a concurrent pronouncement with excommunication her unfaithful husband? Why wait on the State?
Biblically, why must the church wait for the State? What biblical right does the State have being involved in the marriage relationship? Just wondering. Oh, and please don’t give me Romans 13 as your answer. That’s the same B.S. used to justify the Covid shutdown and a host of other acts of tyranny by the government.
Kenny Rogers famously said,
“You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.
Know when to walk away and know when to run”
The Gambler (1978)
I’ve tried to walk away but somehow; I don’t think they will willingly let me go.