Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
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2025! Wow.As the year winds down, and as we are given to considering everything that has taken place, a revisit to the spiritual core of our association is appropriate.
For me, this year provided many memorable gifts, and almost all were driven by a purposeful God reminding me to keep poking my head into the human mechanics of common presumptions.
Nothing is more empowering than praying, listening for His message, being completely lost – yet acting on faith alone, and then finding out why it was necessary to put prayer in front of the fear. Yup, as 2026 approaches we are all walking toward entirely new challenges.
Perhaps we are not prepared, perhaps we will all test our faith, perhaps we will discover new limits to our exhaustion, or, well, perhaps we will discover we are much stronger than we realize. One of the reasons for my optimism is that I think the latter is assured.
I believe we are stronger than we think. I believe YOU are stronger, more purposeful, smarter, more strategic, more influential, more necessary and far more loved than you can ever imagine.
Yes, I am optimistic; more so today on this last day of 2025 than I was on the first day.
The knowledge we possess is powerful – far more powerful than the pretenses we fight against. Many more people have stopped pretending. The reality of our challenges is now easier to discuss. The solutions are also straight forward, do not accept division.
Regardless of how we exit this year, excited or slightly nervous, we admit it can be challenging to retain a joyful ‘best life’ while everything around us is so unpredictable and a little unnerving.
However, if we accept that a loving God is the source of the purest truth, we can create something stronger within ourselves just by making a choice to focus on what really matters. Do that, choose that, follow that and we will have accomplished a great deal.
Regardless of what tomorrow brings, we always have choices. A new year’s perspective:
A recent article in Politico quoting several cabinet members of Prime Minister Mark Carney reflects a particular reality of the problem their economy will face in 2026.
It appears that Canadian government officials have finally recognized the Trump administration plans to dissolve the USMCA or what Canada calls CUSMA next year. With that reality they have a big problem.
Mexico has been working throughout the year to initiate economic policies in alignment with the United States. However, structurally and politically this is an alignment that is impossible for Canada to do. Like many contracting European countries, the economic policies of Canada are centered around their climate change agenda and green energy goals.
For the past few decades Canada bought into the carbon scam and enacted climate change goals into law for carbon pricing, alternative energy production, industry and manufacturing costs. These mechanisms to control “climate change” are nuts in the big picture.
In order for Canada to position their economy to be in alignment with the rest of North America (USA and Mexico), Carney would have to reverse years of legislated rules and regulations. That is not going to happen, and Canada will always be at a disadvantage because of it.
(Politico) – […] It’s a moment of existential crisis for Canada, a senior Carney government official told POLITICO. Waiting out the Trump administration isn’t an option, the official said, arguing that what’s happening in the United States reflects a generational shift — not a temporary disruption — and that returning to a policy of closer integration with America would be foolish. (more)
With three quarters of their economic production tied to exports into the USA, and with the USMCA likely to be dissolved in favor of a bilateral trade agreement, Canada now has to find other markets for its products or lower all the trade barriers currently in place. Prime Minister Mark Carney is trying to find alternative markets.
This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears on Fox News for an interview with Bret Baier. Within the interview Zelenskyy gives some context and details to the 20-point plan organized between him and the EU Leaders, currently being reviewed and modified by President Trump, Steve Witkoff, Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner.
The two remaining issues as described by Zelenskyy are the (1) security guarantees and (2) the territorial issue, Donbas control.
(1) Within the security guarantee proposal there are troubling signs. Zelenskyy describes it as a bilateral agreement between the USA and Ukraine, with similar constructs to the NATO alignment. A non-NATO pact between the U.S. and Ukraine that commits us to his defense if Russia would advance another attack. A 15-year guarantee committed in U.S. law through the U.S. House and Senate. This sounds troubling.
(2) On the territorial issue, regional control of the Donbas, Zelenskyy appears to be willing to cede territory but only under very limited circumstances. Zelenskyy wants a demilitarized zone under the term “a free economic zone” with specific rules.
Zelenskyy admits Ukraine cannot win the conflict against Russia without the United States involvement. Essentially without America, Russia would own the skies and be able to crush the Ukrainian army. WATCH:
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This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
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During an impromptu press availability beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump responded to a question about a drone attack against the personal residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Trump noted that he was informed of the attack by President Putin during an early Monday phone call between the two leaders.
According to Russian media, confirmed by Russian foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Putin’s presidential residence in the Novgorod region, more than 400 kilometers (249 miles) northwest of Moscow, was targeted by 91 drones. Russia has vowed retaliation saying, “targets had already been selected.” President Trump’s response is prompted below:
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied the accusation that Ukraine carried out this particular attack. The attack took place while Zelenskyy was in Florida meeting with President Trump.
In context, there have been several attacks against Russia timed with negotiations. CTH has noted that each instance of closer agreement during Russia/Ukraine negotiations (Turkey) or U.S/Ukraine negotiations (Turkey and Paris) there have been attacks into Russia that seemed to carry a motive from an external third party.
U.S. media have said the attack on Putin may be a lie; however, with physical evidence from the defense operation, it is less likely Russia just made up the attack. At this moment in the conflict, Putin doesn’t need domestic propaganda.
The sense you get from reviewing the interactions is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is nervous in his need to maintain very close support from U.S. President Donald Trump. When we review the interaction, we see Netanyahu’s praise of President Trump through a prism of tenuous dependency.
Netanyahu needs to retain a close and favorable position of influence; yet there is something in the engagement that seems to indicate an unease, a nervousness visible within the Prime Minister of Israel.
The moment at 10:48 is important, “Someone said in the room: if you don’t have Trump“… and the U.S. President strategically decided to let that thought trail off without finishing. However, in context it was very clear what would have come next if Trump didn’t restrain himself. “Someone said in the room: if you don’t have Trump”… you don’t have Netanyahu, was likely the end of that thought, and Trump isn’t wrong. Benjamin Netanyahu’s body language, facial expressions and overall demeanor imply agreement.
Bibi knows the unspoken words are accurate, so does everyone who supports Bibi – especially those pro-Israel voices inside the USA. Also, within that geopolitical dynamic, you will find President Trump’s leverage and an understanding of the behavior for those who support Netanyahu’s government. WATCH:
The non-pretending review of Netanyahu’s purpose for the visit, is to get additional support from President Trump for more military action against Iran. President Trump knows the intents and motives behind the shaped information from Netanyahu, the Israeli government and U.S. donors and voices.
President Trump emphasized strongly how the Arab coalition supports the elimination of Hamas as a terrorist threat, not just the United States. This emphasis on retaining the original peace agreement continues to pull the narrative away from the U.S. having to give support to ongoing Israel military action in Gaza. “If Hamas doesn’t disarm voluntarily” the Arab countries will disarm them President Trump suggested.
Benjamin Netanyahu is not going to be able to pull the Trump administration into military engagement in Iran. That part is clear from the tone and presentation of Netanyahu as well as the space between the words of Trump.