An observation from an older relative, years ago, who was a teenager during the outbreak of WWII mentioned, in a conversation when we started to see parades celebrating the gay community, simply said – right before Germany became full-scale hatred of the Jews, gypsies, handicapped – anyone who stood out from the ‘normal’ or average German, that country had been extremely lenient with gays and others whose acts and lifestyles were definitely out of the normal or average German citizen and he said, to him, seeing the open celebration of the gay lifestyle was to him a sign of the downfall our own country was bringing upon itself.

Never really saw what he meant, but now can understand. The openness of the perversions will undoubtedly create the opposite backlash, extreme intolerance of anyone who does not comply, and is most likely the reason many people don’t holler against censorship by the government through their corporate cronies. The backlash foundation is already being established.

Finding how to walk that fine line – to not go completely intolerant while not allowing the open degradation of our society is not going to be easy, but we have to try to find out how to do so, otherwise the deep state total control of telling individuals around the world what they can and cannot do or believe will be devastating.

This blasphemous mocking of God will not stand. Judgement is coming to all in the West. We have turned our backs on God and His Word lead by the mainstream churches. We are seeking acceptance by the current culture of the devil, entertainment, unlimited sex, money and power. Unless we who claim the name of Jesus repent, God’s hand will fall not just on the evil in the nations, but on us as well. The tools of our destruction are already in place via illegal immigration, out of control government, broken families, etc. Read the Old Testiment prophets, Isaiah, Hosea, and the others. They speak of what happens when the people of God turn away and worship idols. It is time to stop compromising with the world. Stand up and speak out. Be the watchman on the wall for the Lord.

I put this in the other Olympic article’s comments but it fits better here.

It can be so healing to the soul to be thankful for the good in this day but know we have something greater coming. Thankfulness for the good in this day also helps bring our thoughts back when we see the bad in this day. I choose to dwell in thankfulness instead of the evil of the day as soon as I can get my thoughts lined up to the good. Thankfully this works for me and directs my steps to move ahead.

I wish my fellow Christian brothers and sisters would repent and grow in their faith. I am thankful that some have. I wish the wildfires would go away. I am thankful for rain. I wish I didn’t have a cold. I am thankful for my immune system; I’ll recover. I wish I could practice the virtues more. I am thankful that God has promised to be my ever-present Help, especially in times of trouble.

Menagerie! Go ahead and rent!! Beach house ownership kinda like boat ownership. Or Lambo ownership. You’re doing just fine.
Submitted respectfully

Managerie,
I applaud your responce. I feel like too often we, myself included respond to seeing evil with emotion, be it fear or anger, when it would be preferable to turn to God, thru prayer.

I am grateful for so much,…that God has granted me the grace to live in such times as these,..that he has gifted me with a significantly better half, who has been a constant joy to go thru life with these 24 years, I am of coarse grateful for the Treehouse, and the community, I am grateful that so far the Cancer has not spread, I am grateful that I am recieving excellent care,..I pray the next test, Aug. 5 confirms the C has not gotten worse, …I SO want to continue to share my life with my wonderful wife, and to see how this epic, titanic battle for civilisation turns out,..

Come now Sundance .. when have you EVER been intemperate.? Compare yourself to Joe Biden, who went to the UN and YELLED AT THE GENERAL ASSENBLY .. the about how Putin BRUTALLY INVADED Ukraine. Because sometimes people need to understand .. that Putin is the FOUNT OF HUMAN EVIL! Which mean we need to supply arms to Ukraine FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES!

I humbly submit that THIS was an example of intemperate speech Nothing you’ve ever said is in the same ballpark. The hell, you are on the opposite coast from that ballpark

The Western nations including or shall I say ,especially the US is so ripe for GOD’s wrath!

In my youth I was a pretty accomplished swimmer and springboard diver who, for a number of years, dreamed a child’s dream of competing in the Olympic swimming pool: either in the lanes, or hurling myself into the air off the springboard. I used to love watching both iterations of the Olympics: Summer and Winter: from ceremonial start through to the celebratory finish when the torch was extinguished.

Over the last twenty or so years, the ceremonial “cultural program” events prepared by the host country have waxed more and more bizarre, with less and less to do with the purpose of these ATHLETIC competition games.

Earlier this week, several days before the Opening Ceremonies, I read a piece (can’t remember which site), that sounded the alarm on several thematic aspects of these ceremonies in Paris. The author also mentioned that, due to the enormous size of the event, the organizers could not, or would not, accomplish a dress rehearsal.

The French always love to break a few eggs, and are often pretty snotty and self-congratulatory in the commission of the act. But from what I have read on this thread, and from other sources, the egg-breakers who orchestrated and commandeered this event crossed the uncrossable line.

What an insult to the athletes who, with their coaches, have trained so hard for their events – and their their families – who had a reasonable expectation of being welcomed to these Games through the presentation of a well planned, celebratory; respectful Opening Ceremonies event. What a slap across the face to the people from all over the world who traveled to very expensive Paris to attend the Games – in spite of the current condition and no-go zones everywhere in the cess pool that was once known as the City of Light.

I did not watch the Opening Ceremonies and I will not watch any of these Olympics.

Didn’t watch it at all. Mrs. Boss changed the channel after a short time and told me later how awful it was. She doesn’t get disgusted bigly like she was last night – probably the first time I can remember. Anyway, I’m fine not watching any of it. Maybe the USOC will get the message.

Last, let’s see what the athletes do. Their future funding is in jeopardy. Among other things.

I used to wish so many things, for me, for others, for everyone.

Peace and Happiness should abound for everyone,…… but it doesn’t.

I wish I, we, everyone could change that.

It’s what should be.

I hope the good Lord grants me enough years to see President Trump finally be the one to put this country back onto the course our Founders set for it so many years ago.

I think we have to acknowledge that spiritual warfare is rife in our land, that we must be careful to discern it to the best of our ability, and where we see confidently demonic influences and activity, it needs to be called out with a steady voice, not wildly and out of self control.

That is my 2 cents.

As for the Paris Olympic debacle, it needs to be called out for what it is with a steady voice, not wildly and out of self control.

https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1816283953856405825

Who built the gallows and why?

I wish I’d returned to God and the church sooner. I wish I were a better Christian, though I am trying. I wish I had the courage to speak my mind when I was younger.

God will not be mocked.
https://www.wnd.com/2024/07/watch-reports-of-massive-power-outage-across-paris-where-olympics-are-taking-place/

I wish for the evil in this world to disappear!

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Unbelief and Its Consequences 
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 
27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 
31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 
32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:16, NASB)

It is Time To Put On The Full Armor of God

I grew up in a time when a coupon from the Fri paper & .25 allowed us to go to Disney movies on Sat, like Cinderella. Snow White, Bambi. I was sure I would grow up & live happily ever after, (in spite of a not so great childhood).As time passed, those movies kept me focused on the future hope “goodness will prevail over evil,” even in the midst of many years of enduring the opposite. I came to know Jesus at a very young age. I still remember being in church, standing in the Mahogany shinning polished pews. I remember where the piano & the “lady” who played it was located. I remember there was what I called a stage across the front (now likely called a pulpit) & a man who talked to us about Jesus & the Bible. One day a “big girl” asked my mom ,if I could go downstairs & hear about Jesus (Sunday School). My mom said yes. I went down, what seemed to me to be “huge stairs” to the basement I listened & watched “another lady” using cut out figures (like paper dolls) pictures of Jesus & other Biblical characters, on a “flannel graph” board. After several Sundays of this, at the end of the “story time” the “big girl” came over to me & asked if I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart to live w/me forever. I said yes & was very excited to do this. Years later when I shared this w/my mom she said “really”? That couldn’t of happened because u were only 2-3 yrs old! I told her what I remembered & she started to cry, saying what I remembered was actually valid.(the setting of the church, pews, Sunday School in the basement, the flannel graph board w/ paper cut outs etc.
Fast frwd over the years the story of Esther always stood out to me, among many great stories in the OT of the Bible.
Somewhere along the way & most recent yrs, I realized life wasn’t about me & living happily ever after. It is to “following Jesus, H Spirit & Father God’s “plans & purposes” 4 my life. Scripture says God planned the TIME of our birth, even who our parents/family lineage.
I hd/hv many, many “I wish’s” over the years, but each time I hv had to lay them down & move forward.
We, like Ester, GET to participate in the “rescue” of America. As Mordecai said to Esther, if she didn’t approach the King, (at that time she had to be “called,” by the King 1st. Approaching him w/out being called could cost her, her life) to stop the complete annihilation of the Jews, under King Xerxes rule, God would raise up another deliverer 4 Israel from another source, but her & her family would be wiped out.
The “happily ever after” still keeps me focused forward, expecting change for good, not evil & has become a driving force, w/God ALL things are possible. Blessings to all!

I, too, looked with sickness gazing upon the pictures of the obscene Olympic opening in France. Pure ugliness and no one missed their blasphemy. I wanted to retaliate, the same feeling I get when “they” target the children, hurt a child in any way. Then the Spirit prompted my memory…”Vengeance is Mine. I will repay, saith the Lord”.

So many beautiful things in our World. Let’s speak out and shout down evil but focus on the good things Sundance challenged us to see around us. I am so thankful that I know our Lord. That He stays with me in times of trouble and sees me through. How Great is His Goodness! Another scripture, “Eye has not seen, nor hath ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those that Love Him.”

I wish all who feel isolated, lonely, and forgotten knew that God loves them more than they know, and always will.

I am thankful for God’s grace, my family and friends, America, and a perfectly cooked chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, iced tea, and bread pudding.

The day of the Lord is near. (The Big Ugly)

I live on the edge of the National Forest on a dead end street.
My thing is the birds. I have had hummingbirds for 20 years and keep them with fresh nectar.
Red birds come and sit on a low wood railing down the side of my home and I feed them every morning. They remind me with a little chirp.
Sometimes things happen here in my rural area. The cows come to visit if the get out of a neighbor’s pen. See rabbits regularly and talk to them hi little rabbit softly. Deer show up, wild things from the forest are on the edge.
God has us in his arms and is living and patient.

On the other side we cannot turn the news on it is sickening. Thank God for WE tv and the old westerns.
Huggs my Treehouse friends. MAGA

I wish I practiced the love that Christ had for humanity more, especially tempering my impulsiveness and self managed restraint better. I wish, oh so much, that I could play the piano like Keith Jarrett and I could provide the music at the Sundance performance concert. I wish I’d never severed my quad muscles. I wish I could have met my father’s twin brother, who lost his life in the last month of the war in Germany after surviving the Normandy landing, and been able to know his widow and only son much better, and spent some quality time with his grandchildren from the beginning of their lives. I wish I could protect them all from the tyranny that this world is working to force upon them through all the socialist NGO’s infesting our America. I wish love for them because God is Love. I wish I had a larger house to store my record collection and all my books, especially my theological library that I have amassed over 60 years. I wish I could have another 100 years of life to love and enjoy more time with my wife, and watch how it all turns out. But, I am truly looking forward to meeting our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and finding out how big the universe really is!

I have a lot of work to do to have this kind of thought process about what I have read that happened. I can’t watch, just won’t. I am repulsed beyond belief.

“In light of recent events using drag queens to recreate “The Last Supper,” during the Paris Olympics, it’s important to approach this with a thoughtful perspective rooted in our Christian faith.

For those who may not know, the depiction of a sacred event—where Jesus established Holy Communion and foretold His sacrifice (Matthew 26:26-28)—holds profound religious significance for all Christians.
1 Corinthians 11:23-29 reminds us of the gravity of the Holy Communion, which should be approached with the utmost reverence. Reinterpreting this sacred moment in ways that don’t align with its original sanctity diminish its profound meaning.

To my Christian brothers and sisters, this discussion also presents an opportunity for us to engage with others who may see things differently. 1 Peter 3:15 instructs us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” We are called to share our faith with kindness and understanding.

Similarly, Colossians 4:6 encourages us to let our conversations be “full of grace, seasoned with salt,” so we can effectively answer others and foster meaningful dialogue. By approaching these conversations with love and reverence, we not only uphold our beliefs but also create space for others to explore the message of Christ.

Let’s use this moment as an opportunity to discuss our faith thoughtfully, demonstrating grace and inviting others to experience the transformative power of the Gospel. Only God can take what many would see as a strike against Christiaty and turn it into an opportunity to bring those who don’t know Him, to Him.
SK”

Menagerie, I wish I could compose my thoughts and put them to paper as well as you do. I am grateful that I can still see, get out of bed on my own, that I have a delightful and bright grandson who has wonderful parents who teach him manners and right from wrong, and a wonderful community that is kind and welcoming. I have many blessings that I take for granted and wish daily
that I could be a better person.

debauchery, perversion, false gods. history rhymes.
just returned from a family reunion in OC, NJ. Wonderful.
God Bless you all.

Amen!

I wish people were completely honest with themselves. There are too many people who close their ears to common sense.

Peace to all Treepers this glorious Sunday!

I appreciate your temperance and desire for moderation. I have worked with people with many different “outlooks” on life, including a transgender individual many decades ago. I acknowledge their right to control their body, as long as it does not become an effort to influence others. The recent effort within the last 3.5 yars to promote “other lifestyles is not acceptable. Psychologists recognize that the human brain is not fully developed until about age 25, and I personally feel that age of majority should be raised to age 25, not 21 and definitely not 18. Attempting to influence anyone under 25 is not acceptable.

IMESHO, the coordinated attacks against Christianity are intended to defeat a Moral Code that condemns the aberrant behavior of those poor, misguided individuals who will not accept the Moral Code. Christianity and valid religious beliefs condemn abberrant behavior, which the hedonists do not like. Dr. Francis S. Collins, the international leader for the human genome project, discusses the universal existence of a Moral Code, and the fact that people either knowingly accept or reject that Code. He has a good case about the Moral Code in his book, The Language of God, where he discusses genetics and his transtions from agnostic to atheist to believer. I can tolerate aberrant behavior as long an individual keeps to solely to themself and does not publicly display any related action.

We have to remember that many, many Christians around the world are living lives wholly devoted to Jesus Christ. I thank God for them all. I’m grateful that He has given me the opportunity to teach His word to a large Bible study class, and that He has also called me to bring children to know Him through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. And I am grateful for all the ordinary things of life that we enjoy: our beautiful garden, good farm food, friends and family, and God’s sparing, again, the life of my brother-in-law. We are called to live in hope, and my greatest hope is for the return of my Lord. Maranatha!

So beautiful, Menagerie! Thanks for the reminder to be grateful. I’m thankful for my family, my home, my friends, my business, living 69+ years, my health, and the Lord in my life as the anchor of all. I too would love a beach house… and a nice big cabin in the mountains to enjoy with my family and friends. God bless!