Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's striking how many times the word *just* is used in non-denominational "contemporaneous" prayers. "Lord, we just ask..." "We just pray..." "Father God, just bless us..." etc. Sometimes written prayers are helpful. "Just" saying. 🙂

I came across someone yesterday who said I "have abandoned the idea of gods, but forgot to ignore one." I think his point is that it's inconsistent to be an "atheist" with regard to all "gods" with one exception: the Blessed Trinity. I've never understood the appeal of that argument. It's like saying because there are so many Trump impersonators, the real Donald Trump does not exist.

Saying... *Grace that requires our cooperation is not really grace* is like saying... *A free sandwich that someone else makes for you and gives you -- which you must put in your mouth, chew, and swallow -- is not really free.*

I have shaved with this Edwin Jagger razor for many years, and it will last the rest of my life. Nothing like a good hot shave in the morning to start the day off right. Save lots of money, too. (Blades are cheap if you order online.)

When I consider scourging and crucifixion of our Lord in gruesome detail, I admit to often feeling bad since I was part of the reason for him going through that suffering. But on the flip side, he knew what he was doing. He did it voluntarily, intentionally, out of love for me. How can I not respond in love to someone who loved me that much -- knowing what my sins would be ahead of time?

You are engaged in real spiritual warfare whether you know it or not, like it or not. If you don't know it or believe it, it's because you're being pummeled and soundly defeated. You will not have a happy death. But it doesn't have to be that way. "Easy believe-ism" isn't the solution, either ("Just accept Jesus"). You have to choose to love God with your whole heart, soul, and strength. Call on him. Put on the whole armor of God and fight, with Jesus as your King and the Blessed Virgin as your Queen Mother. With the triune God -- not Bitcoin or Monero -- all things are possible.

My wife just texted me: ----- "YOLO." - St. Thomas Aquinas ----- I'm going to have to ask for a citation or reference. I'm not so sure I can trust her on this one.

1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Heaven 4. Hell These are the "Four Last Things." 1 & 2 are inevitable. You never know when it's your turn for 1. Probably sooner than you're ready to believe. 2 will follow immediately after 1, and it will determine your destination of eternal 3 or 4. Don't be distracted. Don't take your eye off the ball. It's not how you begin that counts; it's how you end. You know the Way. Take it. Now.

MeWe is now requiring age verification to use them. Photo of face, License or ID card or Passport. Needless to say, I'll be deleting my account there. Sadly. (I still have a couple of friends there. I told them to find me on Nostr if they wish.)

I made a custom lightning address with Cake Wallet to use here on Nostr. But then I read about how, technically, we are supposed to report all of our zaps -- sent and received, tracking the value at the time of transaction -- and how it's possible for Big Brother to trace our accounts to our real IDs. I know (right now) all that is ridiculous. but I don't feel like thinking about the theoretical or eventual implications. So I just got rid of my lightning address, for now at least, and will stick with privacy-by-default #Monero for those few who tip and transact that way. Simplify.

I thought I should #asknostr : Is it as risky to directly enter one's nsec directly into an app like Amethyst for Android as it is to do so on a computer's browser client? Browser extensions like "Soapbox Signer" are awesome, while Amber eats my phone battery and data for lunch.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, I listen to podcasts from ex-Jehovah's Witnesses. I love hearing how they escaped from the Watch Tower org, but I'm often saddened to hear they've become atheists -- mocking Sacred Scripture and Christianity. It's often the same with people from my own background. False religions come with great casualties. 🤕 Always things to pray about, people to pray for.

Even though permitted with a dispensation, I super-highly recommend Catholics do NOT marry non-Catholics. A spouse should be a helper and sharer, not an obstacle, in the Faith. And kids learn from both parents. There is loneliness in a one-Catholic household. Unnecessary pain.

Had you told me in my late 20s that there would come a time when I would pray the rosary daily, I would have been mortified: Vain repetitions. Pagan goddess worship. Idolatry. Apostasy. Catholic apologetics won me over. Yet that wasn't good enough: Thou shalt not live by apologetics alone. Only when I began praying the rosary regularly, thoughtfully, intentionally -- the way it should be prayed -- did I make more spiritual progress. Catholic apologetics opened up my intellect; the rosary opened up my heart. All this is my path to doing what our Lord commanded: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

Watching the WNBA All-Star game is painful. It feels like doing penance for my sins. Too many 5-foot air balls. No defense. No rebounds. Just entitled lesbians taking turns throwing up 3-point shots. I would rather work on a book report for the Machinery's Handbook.

Step away from the phone and pray the rosary. 📿