Commentary

Have you ever been guilty of speaking before you think? If you answer that honestly, I’m certain the answer would be, “Yes.” I know it is for me. We are quick to express our belief, conviction, or opinion. But we aren’t always right, are we? Of course not.

Jesus addressed the words that we speak in Matthew 12:34-37, which says, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) Although we Christians are not focused on our own feelings, and getting our own way, we ought to be focused on the feelings of those in which we come into contact. If we’re truly humble, our opinion should come second to another person’s feelings. If I say to myself, “my opinion doesn’t matter here” maybe that will come to mind when someone asks for my opinion, and I don’t have anything nice to reply, if I’m to be brutally honest.

Trump Had Both the Legal Justification and Moral Obligation to Move Against Iran

As I observe the national and world response to the American and Israeli bombing of Iran, I am amazed at both the remarkable pessimism of the media and commentators, as well as the willful ignorance of many regarding the actual history of the murderous Iranian regime.

Conversely, President Trump has stated “Iran can have a much brighter future—but we’ll never allow America and its allies to be threatened with terrorism or a nuclear attack. The choice is theirs to make.”

This week President Trump announced that the EPA would reverse and eliminate an Obama Administration greenhouse gas rule that has been unfairly used to justify broad and sweeping “climate change” regulations. Specifically, the EPA will remove the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which identifies six greenhouse gases— which provide vital food for plants in greenhouses—as “a threat to public health and welfare.” And, because this standard was so broadly used, its roll back is being considered the largest act of environmental deregulation in American history.

This Obama administration regulation has been used as a justification for regulations forcing the increase in arbitrary fuel economy standards and limiting power plant emissions. “More energy drives human flourishing,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated. “Energy abundance is the thing that we have to focus on, not regulating certain forms of energy out.”

Crucial Trump Tariff Case is Before U.S. Supreme Court

I address the Trump tariffs because he has deployed them as a vital tool of economic and foreign policy.

First, there is no nation, no economy, the rest of the world is more desirous of selling its goods to than the U.S. Our strong free-market system provides millions of Americans with discretionary income to use to purchase foreign goods. Second, the U.S. government, for decades, has allowed America to be taken advantage of, allowing America to be on the short end of multi-billion-dollar trade deficits with many countries. No more, President Trump has said. “America is not going to get ripped off any longer.”

However, pundits have criticized Trump for what they believe is a lack of legal authority for his broad, unilateral imposition of tariffs. I examine that issue here.

Why Greenland is Important to U.S. National Security Interests

Because there has been so much discussion lately regarding the importance of Greenland to U.S. national security, I wanted to address the topic.

Greenland is critical to U.S. national security because of its strategic Arctic location wherein it basically acts as a northern shield for North America. This includes housing crucial early-warning missile detection systems and, more broadly, offering a buffer to Chinese and Russian influence.

It is always helpful to look back over the previous year, both as a sense of accomplishment and as an indication of how the new year may go.

2025 was quite a year in many respects, much of it positive.

The U.S. economy is growing solidly, energy costs are dramatically lower than a year ago, employment is up, inflation is at 3 percent, our southern border is secure, and the national murder rate is anticipated to drop significantly. In addition, America is not at war—in fact, President Trump has deftly ended 8 wars—and I predict Russia-Ukraine will be next. (I will address Venezuela next week).

The holidays have always been about more than gifts under the tree. When I think back to the stories my own family has shared, it wasn’t the presents they remembered most - it was the traditions. Those small, repeated acts, year after year, wove a sense of belonging and joy that carried through generations.

Some of the simplest traditions are also the most memorable. Families once gathered to make paper chains or string popcorn and cranberries to drape across the Christmas tree. The process was as important as the finished garland - children giggled while sneaking bites of popcorn, mothers threaded the needles, and fathers hung the strands carefully across the branches. It was less about the decoration and more about the time together.

His Coming was predicted even in the Garden of Eden: And for the next 4,000 years prophets foretold what He’d be like and where He’d be born

But, their eyes were blinded to His Arrival by

“the god of this world”

and their “hearts were hardened through an evil heart of unbelief and the deceitfulness of sin” (II Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 3:12-13).

That’s why they didn’t recognize Him as the long-awaited, anointed-and-appointed, Promised Deliverer sent from God ( the Messiah/Christ): and ultimately rejected Him, refusing to accept Him (John 1:12).

And, that’s why He prayed “Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24)— for, in reality, they didn’t know Who He was/is or they wouldn’t have nailed Him to the Cross.

America has been engaged in fighting a War on Drugs since at least the 1980’s. We finally have a president who fights the tyranny of the ‘War on Drugs’ as the war that it is.

First Lady Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” to drugs campaign was a part of that effort. But the reference to a ‘War on Drugs’ has been much more of a metaphorical description than the necessary accounting of the actual combat that is required to win this War. The result is that not much progress has been made to truly lessen illegal drug use or block the flow of these dangerous narcotics into America. Until President Trump.