Many of our ancestors came here because they had lived through centuries of religious persecution across Europe. Mindful of that history, the founders created a place where people of different faiths—mostly the various denominations of Christianity—could worship freely under the protection of the Constitution. We are not as much a Christian nation as we are a melting pot full of freedom seekers. As Christians in these United States we have a responsibility to defend those freedoms, but we must never do so at the cost of loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ. I was recently called “far left” simply for saying that being a Christian means following the teachings of Jesus. Extremism comes from both sides and meet at the same place, I guess. I understand fury. I believe it has a place. Did Jesus overturn tables in righteous anger? Yes, He did. While we are called to love our enemies and yet hate evil, hating evil means opposing and dismantling it. We do not physically attack people... although we are called and entitled under the first AND 2nd ammendment to guard our PEOPLE'S nation from tyrancial governance. As Christians we pray and vocalize, and as scripture says: “...the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God”. In my view there is only an illusion of “Christian Nationalism.” Surely Christians in these United States are free to choose our representatives and to insist that “We the People” actually govern. But we are not alone seeking sanity, and we also attack insanity we observe overseas. What makes our country unique is that God has allowed this nation so many protections with such freedom—including unmatched freedom of speech—so we can express our concerns and act on them more than any other country on Earth. That is not nationalism at work, that is Freedom at work. We The People are not merely reacting to the insanity we see in the USA. We are opposing the loathsome foolishness of broken ideologies that have been prevailing globally. We just live in a country where we can still do something about it. It appears as Nationalism merely because we are able to do it here in this nation alone. So while the world is ablaze with ruinous ideology. Other nations may watch with envy; or even double-down and cling to their failing economic and social experiments. So one of the saddest tools is to apply labels to Christians that are actively opposed to insanity. Labels divide Americans on matters of basic common sense. Is not common sense shared among our fellow irreligious citizens, as well as debout Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Mormons, Hindus, and others. Do we not all agree that wide pen borders is bad for a country? Do any support government waste and corruption? Do we believe those that steal should be punished for robbing? These are not mere "Christian" concerns. Our nation is more united and finally doing something to solve long overdue problems. And what about 2 Trillion in debt?? Many of these concerns are not merely “national issues” or “Christian issues.” They are sane issues. If we could be a light to others, to inspire them to throw off insanity, would we be called "Christian Globalists?" to wish these for others hurting as such harms come to those who ignore such problems? So we are one nation seeking to right problems within the nation where our vote counts and our voices contest insanity. So I would argue that “Christian Nationalist” is a usless, meaningless, divisive label. So never forget that we are Americans of many different faiths trying to make this nation better. Andif we inspire other nations toward such freedom from so many obvious ills, our hope is simply to better the lives of all people endowed with our most inaliable rights, ... to have freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from corruption. May God bless all nations.

Always loved airplanes and photography. Mixing b/w photography with a sun flare using infrared film and red filter, Grok captures photographic instructions remarkably well in this WW1 arial combat scene.

I’ve heard of rounds with 18 birdies. This one featured 11 birdies and a single par. You can figure out why this may be the lowest score in history. And with three young Amish golfers?? Who knew? They played amazing golf and had amazing help from Bryson when they needed it most. There’s an unmistakable, simple sweetness to these three: young men who love the game, love their people, and simply want to be understood as more like the rest of us than we might assume, at heart. There concern for how they are portrayed is real. "Don't believe anything you see on Social Media" we are quite like other people. Clearly they are different, in most ways better than us. The Amish take care of their own. Whether facing medical needs or disaster, they don’t shy away from modern care. They approach technology with a clear sense of 'sensibility'—using it when it helps, refusing to let it consume them. And when hardship comes, their answer is often song. But there’s no singing in this video. Just a record-breaking 45 through 18 holes. This will almost certainly never be beaten. #Amish #Golf #Eagle #Bryson

When I was single, I learned how the most valuable relationship works. I would offer advice that some married people told me was excellent “marriage advice,” even though I never thought of it that way, as I had no experience being married, ...or so I thought. A few decades later I heard the same core principles of my life taught by a renowned Christian marriage counselor. The reasons Christian marriages suffer when they should not are not primarily a failure of a wife submitting to her husband or the husband's failure to love His wife as Christ loves the church, but a failure of either in their submission to the God. We—the church—are indeed the bride of Christ. Even as a single man or woman, we must learn to submit to and trust Jesus. We pray, listen, wait, and trust that God never makes a mistake. We have access to that “perfect marriage” whether or not we marry. And as offputting it may sound to men, we are wives of our Lord Jesus, not just husbands, and Jesus is our example of how to be the husband that He is to us. Those with long, happy marriages use the God-given strengths men and women bring together within this hallowed union. Yet while a genuine "chain of command" exists, our Lord has to held above all. When the three become one, we experience what these verses from Ecclesiastes reinforce. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken". - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. Practical problems in marriage have much less to do with whether a wife submits or a husband loves as Scripture directs. It matters most whether they are submitting to God. If that vertical submission is missing, the horizontal roles of Ephesians 5 will not function as intended. We are sinners saved by grace, carrying selfishness, but selfishness must be kept in check, whether married or single. Even so, Men and women have different strengths and needs by design. Love requires us to suffer for what we know our spouse needs. Husbands are expected to endure more suffering than the wife, as husbands are commanded to love the wife as Jesus loves His church, even laying down his life for her. Not merely his last breath, but his own desires and priorities, if that is indeed best for her. So indeed Scripture places the heavier weight of sacrificial initiative on the husband. A good wife communicates the needs of the family, including her own to her husband. A good husband provides for her and what she says they need—even when it costs him, but he also weighs and prays to God for wisdom and resolve to make the best decision for his family. In almost every case a request or suggestion from the wife will be essential to a husband making better decisions for the family. “Wives, submit…” opererates perfectly inside mutual submission to our Lord Jesus. Women have a burden to respect their husband, but the LOVE husbands are commanded to provide to their wives carry all of these attributes; Love is patient (it suffers long), Love is kind (does what is best for the other). It does not envy, It does not boast, It is not proud. It is not rude, It is not self-seeking, It is not easily angered, It keeps no record of wrongs It does not delight in evil It rejoices with the truth It always protects, It always trusts, It always hopes, It always perseveres. Ultimately, submitting to our Lord enables the single or the married couple to endure and secure every relationship that matters.

I get after people for missing out on reading the old testament. Some of the most incredible historical stuff is haunting, such as the encounter of the ghost of Samuel being summoned by the witch of Endor at the request of King Saul. 1st and 2nd Samuel are too of my favorite books. So since everyone is pitching Halloween Stories, here is a very real and terrifying true story of a real encounter with a real ghost that even terrified the witch that summoned him. My guess is, God raised up Samuel to announce to Saul his death at battle that would come the very next day. I often get after people for skipping the Old Testament. Some of the most incredible—and haunting—historical accounts are in it, like when the Witch of Endor summons the ghost of Samuel at King Saul’s request. 1st and 2nd Samuel are two of my favorite books. So while everyone else is pitching Halloween stories, here’s a very real and terrifying true account of an actual ghost encounter—one that even terrified the witch who summoned him.

In an earlier chapter of my life I worked as an architectural photographer. Years later, that background led me into international work aimed at raising the quality and safety of medical devices around the world. My first visit to Singapore was unforgettable. Visitors often joke about the ban on chewing gum, but the city’s strict laws have created something rare: a place where people can live without the constant fear of crime. You can walk its streets all night and feel completely safe. One evening I took my camera and headed toward Marina Bay, not realizing a laser light show lights up the skyline every night. To me, Marina Bay Sands belongs among the architectural wonders of the modern world. The SkyPark—with its palms, gardens, and vast infinity pool suspended high above the city—is something you have to see in person. For the purists, the image on the left is the original photograph I took that night, but to better capture the feeling I had standing there, I used Grok to animate it. Enjoy.

Winter Night at Decatur Island

The difference between following Jesus and merely calling yourself "a Christian", looks like this. We no longer 'question God', we hang on His every word. The question we ask most? "Why do you put up with me"? His answer is always the same, "Because you belong to me".

I’m not interested in party politics, but I am deeply grateful that the men who wrote our Constitution created this “land of the free.” Freedom brings real problems when it is abused, but the alternative is far worse. Yet even God expects us to be self-governing. He even permits us more freedom than we should ever indulge. The consequences of that freedom—injury to ourselves and to others—are meant to teach us and guide us toward better lives. At the same time, I live under a benevolent monarchy. My King is Jesus, and He has placed me here in the United States. More recently, people further out on both sides have labeled me as the opposite of them. I never moved. My allegiance has always been to living my life as a gracious servant of my Lord Jesus. I serve Him as best I can. He is no tyrant. He gives me freedom to make bad choices. He forgives me when I ask. He disciplines me when I don’t. He commands me to love my enemies and pray for those that persecute me. He gave me eternal life. I believe in moral laws and civil laws and one should not be enforced at the expense of the other. I am fond of the writings of other Saints, like Martin Luther King Jr. who wrote that a just civil law is one that squares with the moral law of God; an unjust law is one that is out of harmony with it. We have a moral responsibility to obey just laws and to resist unjust ones. God has given us a solid foundation upon which mankind can live within both moral and civil guardrails that allow us to thrive and live in harmony, even while disrupting it when needed. These are well contained in the bible all can access and read themselves. Even that is a privilege some would rather burn. So I will not stop trying to help Him reach those He is calling to live forever under His eternal kingdom. So my Lord is Jesus Christ. And as He thought I was worth dying for, I think He's worth Living for. Stay Faithful and True.

The news and social media are lit again with chaos in another country, where the people have lost hope in their government. Although there are serious reasons behind it, it is notable that the arson and destruction of private property stand in sharp contrast to what we typically see across most of the United States. The exceptions tend to be certain big cities that promise to take care of everyone through higher taxation and expanded government services. When those arrangements fail to deliver, legitimacy frays and disorder follows. Most cities and states here do not suffer this pattern, and there is a reason you rarely see it where people rely less on government for daily order and opportunity. In the United States, John F. Kennedy’s line still targets us correctly, just as Reagan reminded people frequently: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Reagan argued that government does not solve problems so much as subsidize them, and that people taking responsibility for one another is better than leaving those tasks to paid bureaucrats. In the United States—which is often criticized by more socialist-leaning countries—we choose our representatives every two and four years. This is our country. France has a democracy as well, but the system taxes everyone heavily to provide more extensive care for all. When immigration increases pressure on services and fuel prices rise, costs go up and people rebel because they are not being cared for in proportion to what they are taxed. Right now France is under real strain. Students have been protesting overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and lost teaching hours, with the problems most acute in higher-immigration, lower-income areas. Public debt sits near 119 percent of GDP—comparable to the United States, which is around 124 percent—yet France’s higher tax burden, larger welfare commitments, and pension costs leave it with less room to absorb shocks. Energy-driven inflation from the Iran conflict has pushed fuel prices higher, and the French government has rejected broad tax cuts on fiscal grounds. The cracks show where the state has taken on more responsibility than it can sustainably deliver. Trump’s promise to expand oil and gas production was aimed at reducing or softening inflation. Early gains were reversed by the costs of the conflict with Iran, which drove U.S. gasoline and diesel prices sharply higher. The same global energy shock is hitting France as well, and it fueling chaos. The chaos in France began because they are struggling to staff schools adequately as certain areas face demographic and immigration pressures, while competition for limited services piles up. But back to tbe point. Culturally, the United States has always leaned more toward “I am responsible for my hope, my future, myself.” Socialism, in its classic form, aspires to take all and redistribute all under one government. That model has repeatedly failed—from the Soviet bloc to Cuba to Venezuela—and by the time it fails it has usually subordinated the people in order to stay in power. Even high-tax social democracies face the same legitimacy problem when the promised level of care cannot be sustained. So what do we do? We own our future. We pick our representatives. We do not give government more money than it has shown it can use well, and we express—within the rule of law—our favor and disfavor until our government becomes a better reflection of the will of those who voted to put them in power. Governments are not to rule our lives. They are there to let us rule our own. They need to provide laws that protect us and our freedom. A government that supports people who properly govern themselves, this is not just the America dream, its a moral responsibility. Those destroying the businesses of hard working citizens out of anger toward their government have lost hope in their government, because they put far too much hope in socialsim.

A recent conversation on X concerned “Christian concerns” over a producer of a C.S. Lewis-based film, a peculiar use of a female voice as Aslan, and some statements in which she called “born-again Christians” weird. None of this surprises me. Jesus gave us the label “born again.” We should understand that our “insanity and weirdness” is also “the aroma of death” to those who are perishing, and the fragrance of Christ to those He is saving. When I was 20—just seven years born-again—I spent four months in the Bible Belt and met a wonderful born-again Christian woman in one of the towns I visited. Though Southern manners were better than what I knew back home, yet many people still called believers like us “weird.” There were not as many “weird” Christians. Some who called themselves Christians were not only openly racist, but deeply divisive. Their first question was often “What are you?”—as if the most important thing about a person was which of the many denominational labels should apply. Jesus made it clear there is one Church, and He alone leads it. Where we gather and sing matters far less than whether we actually follow Him. There are two kinds of people who call themselves Christians: those who belong to Him and walk with Him, and those who only wear the name. Jesus was clear that many who claim the title will be rejected. Being a Christian—rather than merely calling yourself one—is not optional. Nominal Christianity is especially dangerous because it hardens both theists and atheists against Jesus and gives them ready excuses to reject the salvation He offers. Christians rightly express their opinions on films and books, but personal attacks deserve restraint. Even C.S. Lewis was an atheist before his friend Tolkien patiently helped free him from his doubts. So when I see people attack someone who calls “born-again Christians” weird, I am not surprised, but we should remember that at some point in our lives we were like them, nor did we come to faith in Jesus by threat of fear of other men. We came to Christ because others patiently loved us and spoke the truth in love—even while agreeing and disagreeing about things we now hold as faithful truths. We also know who rules this present world. When we execute judgment against those Jesus died to save, do we push them farther from the hope we ourselves received as sinners saved by grace? On C.S. Lewis and the Narnia books: Tolkien complained that Lewis was too obvious in weaving Scripture into his fiction. Tolkien was Roman Catholic, and instrumental in leading Lewis out of atheism in 1931. They later took different paths in writing about the unseen warfare—Lewis more overt, Tolkien more implicit. They they had differences of opinions on faith, marriage, divorce and writings. Are worst, they were estranged friends, never enemies. In the end, what matters is that we feel what arrives on film would hopefully reflect what Lewis was trying to communicate. If a faithful reflection of his fiction is what we see, that would be an unexpected pleasure. If we see it twisted, should we be so surprised? Surely it is our right to express disdain or pleasure with any work of art, but always remember the Spiritual war between good and evil is real and moreso than what we can see. And as the mightiest Warriors of Light know so well: “…the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” Stay Faithful and True.