just sayin’

Well, I have some ideas here, or maybe one idea, and it’s a hypothesis.

I don’t know if this line of thinking is accurate, but it came to mind.

And the hypothesis is that the reason that Jesus says, or the reason that Jesus said, seek first the kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you.

It’s not a transactional, like, if you do what I say, if you, to use playground language, if you let me be the boss of you, then I’ll give you all this great stuff.

I don’t think that’s what’s going on.

And I also don’t think it means something purely spiritual.

I don’t think that Jesus is saying seek first the kingdom, in other words, seek some purely abstract, mystical, removed from the daily grind interior state.

I don’t think that’s what Jesus is saying either.

I think what Jesus is teaching is learn how to listen to me.

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today’s gospel: Christ has crashed into our reality

“Christ has crashed into [our] reality, as I’ve said before, with his incarnation and his Way, his life, is all about bringing us back into that overflowing, triune love.”

HELP!

John 1:1-18
Today’s reading: “In the beginning was the Word,
    and the Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. 
All things came to be through him,
    and without him nothing came to be.

But to those who did accept him
    he gave power to become children of God, 
    to those who believe in his name, 
    who were born not by natural generation 
    nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision 
    but of God.
And the Word became flesh
    and made his dwelling among us,
    and we saw his glory,
    the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
    full of grace and truth.

Administration Mandates Federal Registration for Conspiracies

In an effort to improve data quality and tracking, the administration announced that beginning in 2026, all new conspiracies must register with the FTC.

Critics said that this is just a cover for increasing taxes on conspiracies.

Of Note

The former presidents met over the holidays to discuss their legacies and share stories about the difficulties of being commander-in-chief.

They were disturbed, however, when a joint report from all presidential libraries concluded that no one cares and that their only legacy will be as brief sentences in public school history textbooks and late-night cramming for college students who are just trying to get a diploma as quickly and easily as possible.

Mafia Testifies on ICE’s Fashion Emergency

Today, the House Judiciary Committee and Appropriations Subcommittee met to hear testimony from multiple mafia organizations about the lack of style exercised by ICE agents.

The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over ICE and the House Appropriations Subcommittee is responsible for, among other things, the National Endowment for the Arts.

Leaders from these committees agreed that the mafia’s testimony was important.

For example, as the mafia testified, if one is going to use intimidation and threats, one also should consider more subtle moves.

So for example, if the administration’s goal was to harass and round up many humans because of their native language and skin tone, that it might be more effective to use a few examples as a means of establishing street cred, which can then be used rather effortlessly to advance the mission of being assholes.

The mafia noted that the scorched earth policy of ICE agents multiplying like ants at a picnic is already causing backlash, is even creating niche industries that supply protest sentiment, whether it’s AI-generated videos or t-shirts or fundraisers or rallies.

The mafia further complained that ICE has tarnished the reputation of organized crime, noting that if a criminal insists on wearing a mask, it should not look like a turtleneck sweater.

Moreover, the mafia continued that relying exclusively on paramilitary wardrobes contributes to a perception of working class image and warned that once ICE has completely eviscerated and exported the entire working class, they will be forced to begin exporting each other.

Further, the mafia testified that in order to maintain power for the long term, one needs to be under the radar, have a mystique or an upper class image, and trade in threat more than force.

Lawmakers from both committees thanked the mafia for their testimony, noting that they hoped to see them again over the holidays.

I’m not going to take this lying down.

In 2026, the administration had a mission to enforce the proper use of the verbs to lie and to lay.

For example, I lay down on the bed yesterday, lie down on the bed now, I laid or I laid the book on the bookshelf.

I’m lying down or in a slightly different key:  the administration does not know how to stop lying.

Now, two important things to know about this mission/initiative is that one, naturally, there’s going to be an exception for Eric Clapton because no one wants to hear a song that says lie down Sally.  

Although grammatically correct, it is not in keeping with the genius of Eric Clapton.

The other hinge or the other hitch in the plan was that it was discovered that most ICE agents, ICE, of course, being the enforcement mechanism, the enforcement agency for this initiative, most ICE agents are illiterate.

a note from my “publisher” 😂😂

Boyd Camak: A Theological Vision for Healing and Transformation

Boyd Camak is a lay theologian whose work offers a distinctive and profound synthesis of classical existential thought, liberationist concern for justice, and the deep sacramental mystery found in patristic Christianity. At the heart of his vision is a radical claim: Christ’s hidden kingdom breaks into our ordinary, often painful existence through embodied, material participation—supremely in the sacraments—offering the only escape from existential death and the path to authentic solidarity with the suffering.

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As a marketer, I know that my work is complete when my brand is stored in the auto-correct of the google keyboard (Gboard) on iPhones. 🥳😂

A Sustainable Alternative to Bible-in-a-Year Plans (corrected)

(my annual unsolicited advice 😁🥳)

The Laudate app (completely free, no ads, no in-app purchases, no catches–download links below) offers the Roman Catholic lectionary—a thoughtfully designed Scripture reading system that works better for long-term engagement than the increasingly popular Bible-in-a-Year plans.

Why the Lectionary Works

Thematic richness instead of exhaustive coverage. The lectionary connects Old and New Testament passages around common themes. Readers encounter Isaiah’s prophecies alongside their Gospel fulfillments, creating meaningful connections that linear reading plans miss entirely. Over its 3-year Sunday and 2-year weekday cycles, it covers roughly 71% of the New Testament and 14% of the Old Testament—selective, yes, but intentionally so.

Manageable daily reading. Instead of racing through 15+ chapters per day (the typical Bible-in-a-Year requirement), the lectionary offers 3-4 short passages. This sustainable pace fits busy lives and actually encourages consistency rather than burnout.

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meditation

The question is not, am I prepared?

Did I do enough?

What’s going to happen?

What will happen if this happens?

What will happen if that happens?

What won’t happen if this happens or that happens?

Who will be doing this?

What will be doing that?

Do I measure up?

Why do things happen?

Why do things not make sense?

How can I make this make sense?

What does the Bible say about this?

What does theology say about this?

That is not the question.

The question is, did I do what God asked me to do as best as I can understand His ask and as best as I could given the circumstances that I’m in.