Good Morning, Please join me for a daily scripture break. Mark 4:2-20: "2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” 10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables12so that,“they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!” 13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” This passage is the parable of the sower.  I’ve mentioned this passage previously in a post a couple of months ago.  Jesus gave us Satan’s entire playbook in one stroke. In Jesus’ explanation of the parable, He tells the Disciples that Satan is after the Word sown in our lives.  Why?  Because it is God’s Word that contains power.  You will recall yesterday the Centurion’s servant was healed by Jesus’ Word - Jesus never saw the servant. God honors His Word - His promises. So, it’s really easy to understand why daily scripture reading is imperative.  The reason is because of verse 17 - it takes time for the Word to "take root in our lives".  Until the Word takes root, we are particularly susceptible to Satan’s tactics.  Here are the five tactics of Satan - afflictions (trouble), persecution, cares of this world, deceitfulness of wealth and lust for other things.  These five things strangle the effect of the Word of God in our lives.  So, now that we know that’s Satan’s entire strategy - we must garner all of the determination we can to grow the Word of God in our lives. Be obedient to God’s Word no matter what. Whatever you do - never give up, never.  We will achieve different levels of success - each individual will be rewarded according to their individual commitment and obedience. I guess another reason I love this passage is Jesus loves us so much that He exposed Satan so eloquently to us all.  We have a despicable enemy that kills, steals, and destroys. Jesus didn’t want us clueless and helpless. That’s what a friend does. I love and deeply appreciate God’s goodness. Peace and be prepared.

Beagles And dragons And bears OH MY Russell Fisk, the owner/operator of the interplanetary tramp freighter Inquisitive Tamandua, really hates transporting live cargo. But when money’s tight and jobs are hard to find, he’ll take what he can get. Sometimes the client's paperwork is iffy. Sometimes the live cargo is unpredictable. And sometimes the dead cargo is even more unpredictable. Whether the meerkats are engaged in a blood feud, the graveyard is haunted, or the miniature multicolored glow-in-the-dark capybaras might spontaneously combust, Russ has one simple (ha) mission: Getting his cargo and crew from Point A to Point B in one piece, while staying a step ahead of the feds.

Obligatory reminder that I write books! Some of them have even been called "good". And a couple of them are audiobooks too 🫡

I have an informal case. You all know we are structuring COV as I speak. This vet is living in his vehicle. I will share with you as this case evolves. Will you donate now so that I can help him as we figure this out. paypal.me/codeofvets2026 or dm me to use zelle…

2-64 AR (3 ID) 1-4 CAV (1 ID) HHC, 1 BCT, 1 ID Iraq Survey Group

There are kind rich people, shitty rich people, and rich people in between. Some give back to society,some mostly take, and others do both. The reason politicians are so pissed off about Musk's wealth is that their grift off of taxpayers is only making them multi-millionaires. They think they deserve more for their efforts. I mean, what WOULD we do without their leadership?

This man just summarized GWOT and the post 9-11 military in 5 words. Damn.

Straight fire!

Cute theory, let's play it out. A monkey hoards a trillion bananas. The troop, enraged, beats him to death. They gather around the pile to feast at last. But... oh wait, there is no pile. It turns out the "bananas" were shares in a banana-launching company the dead monkey founded. The shares were worth a trillion because he was alive to run it. Now he is dead and the stock is worth $0. The retarded monkeys have clubbed their way into a recession. But it gets worse. Half the "bananas" were tied up in a rocket that supplies bananas to monkeys on the far mountain who had no bananas at all. Another chunk was tied up in a little satellite dish that beamed banana coordinates to the troop after a flood took out their trees. So now they realized they beat to death the only monkey who knew how the dish worked. So the monkeys sit there. No bananas. No rockets. No coordinates to get more banananas. Just a dead body and a powerful sense of fairness as they all now became infinitely poorer. OH And somewhere a smaller monkey watches the whole thing and quietly decides he will never build anything in front of these animals again.

Watching people complain about Musk becoming a trillionaire while using his app.

Welcome to Friday’s Christian Business Corner.  Please join me for a brief scripture break. Colossians 1:9-10: "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…” We spend the majority of our time during the week working at our job/business.  It’s interesting people compartmentalize their lives and stop applying the Godly principles in their professional lives. Well, that is nonsense. As we spend time studying the Word,  God expects us to be a living witness to His Grace and Mercy. We are called to”…live a life worthy of the Lord AND please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…” Please pause and consider verse 10. In order to live a life worthy of the Lord, we have to make a concerted effort to read and study the Word of God daily, pray for guidance to build and operate our businesses, manage our employees, build our customer base, and ensure our business practices are ethical and legal. Next week, every day consider how you can groom your business so that it is worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way. It sort of changes your perspective when you think of that way.  Verse 10 goes on to say, “…bearing fruit in every good work….”  This passage may seem impossible to do.  Remember, God isn’t looking for perfection - He expects obedience.  I can think of a couple of instances where the Holy Spirit warned me not to engage a couple of unethical vendors and colleagues.  I am so glad I did.  I just want to encourage you business owners - God is your senior partner.  Seek Him out daily. Have a blessed weekend.  I know the World Cup is in the US right now.  I just can’t get into soccer (I mean football).😂 Peace and be prepared.

HEY. YOU. YES YOU. YOUUUUU. Did you know that I've got a new book out? It's a collection of space opera short stories starring a tramp freighter crew that keeps getting roped into smuggling live cargo. YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE. IT HAS INTERIOR ILLUSTRATIONS. Pick up your copy of "Smuggling Spaces" today! Link in the comments!

**REPOST PLEASE** Join to get notifications of what calibers/cases will be up for the weekly drawings as well as whatever 9mm, 45, 5.56, 223, 308, 10mm etc cases I am getting weekly allocations for now x.com/i/chat/group_join/g205…

I still use Spec Ops MAMBA slings (the company, not the job) like I did in OIF, but I’m inclined to give this one a try.

Good Morning, Let’s pause for a daily scripture break.  Yesterday, we considered Matthew 10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.” We carefully examined this verse yesterday.  Let’s continue to delve deeper into the topic of shrewdness.  I guess I’ve always perceived shrewdness with a negative connotation but it's intriguing to me the Lord instructed His Disciples to employ shrewdness (keen discernment) while propagating the Good News.  Consider how much knowledge the Disciples possessed after studying with our Lord for three years. They could have overwhelmed and impressed the crowds with a vast knowledge base yet it is “practical discernment” or shrewdness that Jesus knew would properly equip the Disciples for their mission of evangelization. Jesus will frequently make unexpected choices but I've learned to slow down and observe His Ways. Let’s examine shrewdness in light of the scriptures. Please indulge me on this tangent.  The first passage I selected was Psalm 18:25-26 and it jumped off the page! This passage says, “To the faithful show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure (innocent) you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.” Firstly, the longer I study the Bible the more I realize how much of the Old Testament Jesus spoke and quoted to the Disciples. Secondly, in Matthew 10:16 it says, “…therefore be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.” So these two passages appear similar at first glance, but Psalm 18:26 reveals something I’m beginning to understand more clearly. There is a significant difference in how we interact within the Body of Christ (the faithful, blameless, and pure) and how we interact with non-believers, i.e. “but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.” This doesn't mean we aren't compassionate and kind towards strangers. I'm just acknowledging what Jesus said. I’m amazed how the Holy Spirit can turn a switch on in your mind.  We are called to demonstrate “Christian civility in kind” with one another in the Body of Christ as described In Psalms 18:25-26 and shrewdness to the world.  Again, I have to remind myself, shrewdness isn’t necessarily evil. You will recall, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines shrewdness as, “keenness of discernment or sagacity in practical affairs.”  Sagacity is defined as “having or showing an ability to understand  difficult  ideas and situations and to make good decisions: marked by keen and farsighted understanding and judgment.” Let’s continue to examine shrewdness. In Luke 16:8, it says,  "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” So to begin, let’s review the context. Jesus is presenting a parable about a shrewd manager who was suspected of mishandling accounts. The accused manager went out and collected discounted debts on behalf of his master. The master praised the manager for being shrewd in his collection methods. This passage is an exhortation to display our practical discernment more often in our everyday lives - not to show off but be a blessing to those around you. You business owners out there will understand - the world values those who solve problems or create new products or services people want. Here are a few more scriptures on shrewdness. 1. II Samuel 22:27 2. II Samuel 13:3 As you study this topic, there aren’t lot of scriptures that use the word “shrewdness" specifically. I don’t want to wander too far off our designated topic.  As I think about our topic the life story of Joseph in the Old Testament comes to mind.  He practiced "practical discernment” after he was sold into slavery for the remainder of his life. (Genesis Chapters 37-50) I hope this scripture break was helpful. Have a blessed day. Peace and be prepared.

Good Morning- Let’s pause for a moment and take a daily scripture break. Please read the first five paragraphs slowly. Matthew 10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves." Let’s review the context.  Jesus is speaking to the Disciples. He’s giving them their instructions as they are being tasked to go preach the gospel. He shares with them some of the things they should anticipate on their journey and how they should respond. Verse 16 grabbed my attention. “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves…” When I read it - the Holy Spirit said, “you read it with the wrong inflection.”   Christians aren’t sheep (in the sense of being helpless, defenseless) but rather “I am sending you out like sheep - (with the outward appearance of being sheep) (PAUSE) among wolves. Please stop! Read the paragraph again. The meaning is different than walking away with the impression we are sheep. Jesus wants us to appear like sheep outwardly. By that Jesus means, we Christians must humble ourselves as sheep do because we see all of the wolves around us.  Are wolves intimidated by sheep? No, wolves aren't intimidated by sheep. So if we humble ourselves we won't intimidate the wolves around us. Let’s continue with the verse. “Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.” So to clarify this verse, it’s important to understand why the word “therefore" is used. The word “therefore" links the first part of the verse, where Jesus is instructing His Disciples to present themselves outwardly as sheep (non-threatening to non-believers/potential enemies). Once the Disciples outwardly present themselves as sheep then Jesus commands His Disciples to "be “shrewd” as snakes AND innocent as doves.”  The reference of being as shrewd as snakes echoes Genesis (well everyone probably immediately recalled the deception of the snake with Eve in the Garden).  Of course, we all know that the snake introduced evil into the Garden. But Jesus would never tell us to do anything evil so what does He mean by "shrewd".  Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines shrewdness as, "keenness of discernment or sagacity in practical affairs.”  Sagacity is defined as "having or showing an ability to understand difficult ideas and situations and to make good decisions : marked by keen and farsighted understanding and judgment.” So shrewdness is not necessarily evil.  As a matter of fact, it is the MOTIVE in your heart that determines if you are using it for good or evil. (I Samuel 16:7) Jesus instructed the Disciples to act “as "(possessing) a keenness of discernment or sagacity in practical affairs" as snakes AND “innocent as doves” - never forgetting you are a Christian who is representing the Body of Christ. When reading scripture it is so easy to mindlessly gloss over important words which changes the meaning of the sentence. I am going to divide this scripture break into two sessions because while most of you are mature Christians, I paused to thoughtfully consider how we read the scriptures is so very important.  I find myself pausing frequently while reading the scriptures asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  I encourage everyone to also seek guidance from your Church clergy for wisdom and guidance in interpreting the Holy scriptures. This is one of those times I want to gently remind everyone I am not a theologian or ordained minister.  I’m sharing my journey.  I highly recommend reading the scripture slowly, clearly defining the words in the text, and reading in light of the context and other scriptures related to the specific passage. Until tomorrow, God Bless you. Peace and be prepared.

Good Morning - Please join me for a daily scripture break. Proverbs 6:16-19: "There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers." I briefly mentioned the passage above in one of my recent posts. One of the sinister effects of being bombarded by evil propaganda - "the lies of this world" is slowly you can get swept up in the moral decline of the age.  Sometimes, it can mirror the monumental struggle of a King salmon swimming upstream; arriving at its birthplace to spawn and then its life is swiftly concluded.  We must resist the deluge of moral corruption. If you will recall, Merriam - Webster’s dictionary defined an abomination as, “something regarded with disgust or hatred.”  As for a member of the Body of Christ, we don’t have an option to debate topics our God declares as abominations.  If you get some time perform a word search. Remember folks, we don’t hate people who sin - but we are called to hate "the sin.”  Romans 12:9, says "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." We live out our faith and share the Good News but we don’t cozy up to the abominations of the world. In the following comments below, I'm going to individually identify each of the abominations listed in this passage and provide a brief interpretation with examples of the institutions and prevailing ideologies that reflect each abomination's evil persona. 1. “Haughty eyes” (I would equate this with arrogance) - pause and think of examples of arrogant people - the ultra wealthy, celebrities, politicians, sports figures.  Of course not all members of these groups are arrogant but when you identify one - their hubris is unmistakable. 2. “A lying tongue” -  lying is so pervasive in our culture. The institutions or individuals that come to mind are - Main Stream Media (MSM), politicians, organizations with delusions of grandeur - like the WEF, governments around the world, academicians imposing their “acceptable” ideologies on young people to name a few. 3. “Hands that shed innocent blood” - Well, terrorists groups around the world, abortionists and those who support it are a few examples. 4. “A heart that devises wicked schemes” -  Those who scheme to make money no matter how detrimental their actions can be. Here are a few examples - BIG Pharmaceutic Companies, tech moguls, diabolical political thought designed to enslave the human race (neo-Marxism, Socialism, Communism, Malevolent Monarchy, and dictatorships.) 5. “Feet that are quick to rush into evil" - A great example is “the Deep State” with its torturous tentacles penetrating all levels of our government, promoting civil unrest through intimidation with Black Lives Matter, Antifa, and the rise of lawfare in our once honorable judiciary. 6. “A false witness who pours out lies”  - some people believe lying is justifiable in order to propagate their "just" cause like Islam, or MSM, or politicians who skillfully manipulate language until the general public is quite confused, some PACs, and those who seek to obliterate the Constitutional rights of those with whom they disagree through deception. 7.  “A person who stirs up conflict in the community”  - Again the players are familiar - MSM, politicians, celebrities, compromised church clergy, those who redirect concerted human effort towards policies that benefit very few. While this post may sound like a political commentary - it is much more than that.  God gave us the blueprint our enemies would use to attack the world and plunge it into despair.  After reading just this passage, hopefully you can see why it’s very important to keep your minds on things that are good, beautiful, and true. (Philippians 4:8)  Yet, make no mistake there's a concerted effort to destroy the Will/Intent of God in this world. Here are some additional scriptures that will support this synopsis. 1. Deuteronomy 12:31 2. Leviticus 18:22 3. Proverbs 15:9 4. James 4:17 5. II Timothy 3:1-5 (although not listed as abominations - every time I read this passage - it is a perfect description of our culture today). Some will be upset people with some of those references. These scriptures are in God’s Word and He hasn’t changed His mind. (Hebrews 13:8). I will align my mind, body, and spirit with God’s Word. He is clearly articulating how He will judge us like in the days of Noah. (Genesis 6:6-13) With the greatest tenacity you can muster, listen to these words. Have a blessed day. Peace and be prepared.

Good Morning, Welcome to Friday’s Christian Business Corner.  Please join me for a short scripture break. Jeremiah 22:13: “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.” We can easily take a peek at our modern culture and observe innumerable examples of improper political conduct in election results, poor conduct of elected officials, or illegal use of public money (just to name a few).  Business owners are not exempt from being accountable for their business practices.  We are required to pay our taxes (Matthew 22:15-22) and deal with clients and employees fairly and justly (Proverbs 11:1).  While these principles seem obvious, even Christians can convince themselves “it doesn’t really matter if I don’t report all of my income to the government or accurately settle a customer’s account balance." For members of the Body of Christ remember before you take that dishonest step, God already knows what is in your heart. You can’t hide from Him and you won’t escape the consequences. (Galatians 6:7) In Proverbs 10:2 it says, "Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.” Any advantage you think you may gain by dishonesty will fail in comparison to the result of alienating the Lord. He doesn’t just turn a blind eye when we, His children act dishonestly. In Proverbs 20:23 it says, "The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please Him.” Also in Proverbs 6:16-19 it says, "These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” It is vital you recognize the true danger of something that God considers an abomination.  Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an abomination as "something regarded with disgust or hatred.”  So with that said, I can't think of ANYTHING that is worth me offending God with my sin; jeopardizing my relationship with Him. There are countless promises in the Word that God bestows on His obedient followers. The Lord has made it abundantly clear in His Word, our business dealings must be honest and lawful.  God understands the world is watching; eagerly waiting to expose the disreputable behavior of wayward Christians and besmirch the reputation of the Kingdom of God. Some of you may wonder why I spend so much time turning over rocks in our heart’s garden? God forgives a repentant heart. We must confess our sins before we can receive forgiveness and favor from the Lord. When you faithfully live the principles you’ve been taught in God’s Word, He will bless you in ways you don’t even know how to ask. God has so richly blessed me with a such loving husband and supportive family.  God will bless you and your business - making it a force for good in your community. Just remember I Samuel 15:22-23, it says, “...To obey is better than sacrifice….” I encourage you to pray for your business every day and seek daily guidance from the Holy Spirit. Have a blessed weekend. Peace and be prepared.