Today in History  On May 7, 1945, the German High Command signed an unconditional surrender to the Allies, bringing the war in Europe to an official end.

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"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run, I feel his pleasure." - Eric Luddell

Q. 28. Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation? A. Christ’s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. 1 Cor. 15:4; Mark 16:19; Eph. 1:20; Acts 1:11; Acts 17:31.

"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 28. Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation? A. Christ’s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. 1 Cor. 15:4; Mark 16:19; Eph. 1:20; Acts 1:11; Acts 17:31.

"A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte

The Westminster Standard Q. 27. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist? A. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time. Luke 2:7; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 12:2-3; Isa. 53:2-3; Luke 22:44; Matt. 27:46; Phil. 2:8; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Acts 2:24-27, 31.

"By leadership we mean the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done because he wants to do it, not because your position of power can compel him to do it." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Leadership is getting someone to do what they don't want to do, to achieve what they want to achieve." - Tom Landry

@Start9 Has anyone created a blossom package for running under Start9? Unofficial, I realize, but was hoping to find one. Thanks.

I'm on Iris.to, and I just noticed that some posts have a Zap icon, and some don't. Can anyone explain why that is? Thanks.

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." – Albert Einstein

Friday Reflection May 2nd, 2025 Whom Do You Serve? by Michael Quinn Sullivan Few questions cause more discomfort in the hall of government than this: “Whom do you serve?” Not long ago, I asked that question to a politician who bristled with indignation and replied, “I serve no one!” That answer told me a lot. If we cannot acknowledge whom we serve, we cannot possibly build them up or serve them well. And I’m not talking in some deep, theological sense of serving God. I mean this literally: Whom do you serve? Two of my favorite books of the Bible are Joshua and Nehemiah. Both present great case studies in practical leadership and self-governance. Undergirding both stories is the question of “whom do you serve?” In Joshua, that question is explicit; in Nehemiah, it is implicit. Yet the answer is equally consistent: We must all live lives of service to each other. I am reminded of that Roman Centurion in the Gospel of Matthew, a man of great power, who correctly told Jesus that everyone is under authority—even that politician I mentioned. The politician I mentioned wanted me to know he served no one, which meant he served himself. The correct answer would have been the people of Texas, or the constituents of his district, or even “the constitution.” Frankly, I would have had a little more respect for him if he’d honestly named off a crony lobbyist or two, since I know that’s whose calls he most rapidly returns. Instead, all I saw was a man deluded by his own appreciation for his temporary power. In a republic established under the principles of self-governance—where the law, not a man, is king—we are each in the curious position of being each other’s masters and servants. It is a difficult duality for our modern hierarchical minds to process. I hear well-meaning people praying for our country’s leaders ... and they proceed to name off the president, the mayor, the governor, and so on. “No, no, no!” I find myself wanting to respond. The people are the leaders in our republic; those individuals are the servants. No title in our nation should be more exalted than that of “citizen.” Every “honorable” person with their fancy title is merely one of the servants. The people are in charge; the people are the masters. The politicians are not the leaders of, but rather the servants to, the people. When we want to pray for our nation’s leaders, we should first and foremost be praying for each other. When we see insurmountable problems facing the republic, we shouldn’t wait for the politicians to negotiate a solution ... we should get to work and encourage others to join us. We must stop idolizing the roles of elected officials. Instead, each of us must take an active role in leading our communities. We must remind those in office that they work for us, and we must remind ourselves of that as well. We all serve someone. Yes, we must serve God, but we serve Him in large part by serving each other. As a self-governing people, serving each other is a critical component of our civic life. It is up to each of us to build each other up as the real leaders we are each meant to be as citizens in this great republic.