Daily Nudge by Karl Faase and Olive Tree Media

80/20 Rule 19 May 2026 Today, one in ten relationships starts online, mostly through a dating app. Not a huge percentage, but it’s a lot of people. One outcome of dating apps is known as the 80/20 rule. That is 80 percent of women are interested in only 20 percent of men. It has been observed that dating apps are not working for men. Sadly, the rejected men seem to be growing in their resentment toward women. It’s hard to feel rejected. If you have ever felt like this, know that you are loved by people close to you, and the God who created you. Being rejected on a dating app is unfortunate, but it doesn’t define you. Your photo and profile may not attract attention, but that’s not who you are. Share this daily- reading. Thank you,Karl Faase. ( from Digital Anvil )

Wealth for All ?

What's better than 'Wealth for all' ?

Guess?

Justice !

What's better than 'Justice for all' ?

Did You think: 'Love for All ?

Did You think: ' Forgiveness for All'?

Did You think: ' Mercy for All ' ?

By Digital Anvil.

Drop by and give your preferred solution ?

Creating Paths:

Creating Paths:

All of us walk along paths from time to time. Not just concrete footpaths in cities, but paths of dirt making their way across fields or through the bush. These paths meander this way and then that, often snaking through kilometres of open ground.

Have you ever thought about what created those paths? It’s a very simple answer; people walked them regularly enough to create a clear line to follow. Paths are created by people regularly following the same route to get to a specific destination.

What is true of walking through the bush is true of life. Whatever behaviour you repeat, whether good or bad, is creating a path in your life that you will tread.

Where are your paths leading you? The Bible challenges us to choose our paths wisely.

 

Share this daily- reading. ✅️

Many thanks to Karl Faase!🤝

(Agreed: Digital Anvil )

Family for Months: (Re-Worked A)

God's Design Pre-eminent: Life Declares 'Nuclear Family,' instead of LGBTQ 'Pride,' throughout the year.

 

Digital Anvil.

 

With the re-comprehension of the ultimate building block--the Nuclear Family. This foundation of Society is being celebrated by more and more people groups around the World again.

Inherent in ALL societies ( everywhere) is the foundational element of such significance that in a sense and realistically it is replicated throughout the animal kingdom. Additionally,reproduction is virtually extant in all binary sex species.

( there is a Male a-n-d a Female ) 

Very few life-forms are self - reproductive. But that is not the ideal (nor the most valuable) norm. Nor are other forms of ' gender '--  social forms or faux constructs- ideal or  wholly valuable. Although gender dysphoria can be real for some unfortunate individuals in Western and Eastern societies. So are 'tom boys' of yesteryear  Most if not all grow out and up of it.

Although happiness can be derived from all kinds of ways, the essential reproductive form is virtually only binary. Without an ova or a sperm, human beings cannot be vitally reproduced. Civilisations would collapse and implode. Unfortunately many couples are child averse and many are cost-averse. But an uptick of child rearing is observed in more Westernised couples.

Up and down the phyla of the two kingdoms,this existence or state of play  is mandatorily reproduced. Males and females are the polar opposites yet with some overlap. Protests to the contrary are largely futile. 

There is another consideration: although there is some overlap between males and females there is much more distinctiveness. No matter what one thinks,feels or argues, biological sex is the distinctive mark of human biology.' This -as alluded to before -is the pervasive and general mark of virtually all animals.

Of course there are rare, extremely rare cases of hermaphoric sexuality and even examples of transformation of sex interchange. But this is a rarity in and of the sex norm. This rarity is not a general principle nor something to build a sexuality framework from.

Of course there is a movement of sorts to the contrary. How should we think and feel about this state of affairs ? I feel much has been made of rights, new norms and recognition of diverse individuals whose plight has been exacerbated by apparent unscientific medical methods. ( See UK Cass Report and other court cases in USA) A few traditionally progressive countries have flagged reversals of such medical policy too.

Terms such as hetro-normative display the strong echo of the 60s sexual and social and political revolution some decades earlier. Many such words entered the vocabulary of mainstream society recently  (more or less)  

The progressives are an innovative group re-constructing terminology and coining words to good affect. Although pre-dominately political,  they are a powerful group of females and males whose solo aim is to win the hearts and minds of others around them.

Power flows are in every scenario of life but are genuinely tempered by such  things as Love, Compassion and Justice ,especially societal instruments as rule of law, political persuasion, familial 'systems' and economic structures. Just to name a few. Perhaps we also should remember that happy children are a wondrous outcome and ultimate goal of male/ female pairing of the family dynamic.

As Allie Beth Stucky has said, we need more Christianity, not more feminism.

Although we are ALL  image - bearers of God, our life- journey is largely a struggle with its tragic distortions, blind of our own inadequacies, complex flaws and overall humanness of Mankind.

But the rescue mission of Christianity prevails. Shall you and i join that movement?

By Digital Anvil.

( My thanks to my newer friends, Alli, Ruby, Icy, Aziz and Lila for demonstrating Love beyond the norm and transcending friendship with love. Special thanks and my love to Fiona and Jase & Family. Hugs to All. )

 

PS: Although this post is my work i declare that the cosmic plan of biblical Christianity is of utmost importance. As important as Love and Light, Family and doing Right.

 

Final Note: Although we can differ about much, we should support,care and if possible, love persons and people who are different from our native selves, tribes and families.

As i was raised by loving parents and  significant others. My peers became more relevant and more trusted.

Being a typical teenager, i had rebelled and searched for my own path.Tertiary education was my ultimate dream which became true but my life-journey quickly spiraled out of sensefulness. But a spiritual circumstance  happened that re-shaped my world view,  while my family picked up the pieces.

Now with the tremendous life- changing love of Christianity and its followers, i am wholly changing

and exploring life once again. The essays I post with personal insights are the outcome of a life well lived. I look forward to loving, living and learning from the other citizens, travellers and environments encountered. Written by Love, Digital Anvil. ( Thanks for reading this far)

The Worse Failure:

The worst failure…is failure to try

“Be strong and of good courage…for the Lord your God is with you.” Joshua 1:9 NKJV

It’s impossible to live successfully without taking risks. Leo Buscaglia wrote: “To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement…To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk being called naïve. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing…

Only the person who risks is truly free.”

Franklin Roosevelt spent much of his life battling illness and was confined to a wheelchair. Yet he became one of America’s greatest presidents. He said: “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” 

In The Pursuit of Excellence, Ted W. Engstrom gives this advice about the importance of trying: “Starting today, you can begin to enjoy using and developing your gifts…If you’ve always wanted to write, then write something, a short article, a poem, an account of your vacation. Write it as if you were going to be published; then submit it somewhere. If you’re a photographer, gather your best pictures together and submit them as entries in a contest. If you think you’re a fair tennis player or golfer, enter some tournaments and see how you do. You may not win the top prize but think how much you’ll learn and experience just by trying.

 The worst failure…is failure to try!”

SoulFood: Ruth 1–4 Matt 11:1–19 Ps 88:1–9a Pro 13:1–3

My Gratitude to Vision.org.au for this daily reading.

(From Digital Anvil )

Vision: Do You have One?

Vision:

Do you have a vision for your life-journey ?

If not, why don't you reconsider your stance ?

Of course-- you might be tempted to think that a vision- for - your - life is for companies, CEOs, politicians, athletes,Billionaires, etc. While that is certainly true, Vision is for every man, woman and child.

I'm not referring to the everyday needs or  the personal needs of individuals, families and the tasks of everyday life.

 

If you are a believer or better, a follower of Jesus, then commence praying for someone else to devise a way to help you to obtain the know-how to seek a Vision ? But then recognise God may want you to be your own answer to you're seeing the Vision.  You pray for His help to establish your own.

 

So what do i mean? 

I mean the personal 'hidden'  ( unannounced  ) desirable needs, the unmet needs of individuals and people groups everywhere and anywhere.

Here is the simplest definition  for which a vision- for-your -life is:

Seeing a need and meeting that need.

I'll repeat that:

Meeting a need after you (personally) see that need.

This is the flame of the Vision - for - your - life  - journey. It ignites your life more fully, more purposefully and more expansively. It supplies the openly achieved and assured  outcome, meaningfully for you and me.

I want to encourage you,the reader, to engage in looking around,observing those events, people and places that your sight and heart is impacted by. To met the otherwise hidden needs around you and me.

Discover those around  and be the person that  meet their 'hidden' from seeing needs.

Discover your unused talents, gifts and skills while continuing your journey to that remote but inevitable destination.

It doesn't necessarily mean starting a massive global movement but you could be a part of one or see a local person who needs their lawn mowed.

It doesn't need to be a massive financial gift but a small block of chocolate could suffice.  A meal could or a drink could ensure survival of a nation in the making. Cheerfully giving a smile  and a warm, reassuring word could prevent desperate, hidden plans for an untimely end.

Creating the circumstances that apply to the emergence of a couple whose desire is to start a tiny family but need that guiding voice and hand only you can supply.

Bravo, encourage and supply them.

Remember that simple definition:

Seeing a need and meeting that need.

By Digital Anvil.

Get What You Need, Not What You Want

What is it that you want from God today? What are you praying for? What are you seeking, and what do you want God to do for you?

For some, you are desperately praying for healing, restitution, or recovery for someone you love.

Others are seeking a new start or a relationship or a job. Prayers that seem fair, reasonable and justified.

There are times when the answer we seek may not be the answer we need. God may not be giving you what you want because He has something different in mind - an outcome that is deeper, richer and more significant than you can even presently imagine.

Pray that God will give you what you need, rather than just what you want.

Share this daily reading.

My earnest thanks to Karl Faase and Olive Tree Media!

( from Daily Anvil )

Grace: ( A Change of Heart )

 Grace: 

 

( A Change of Heart )

  

Some years ago I underwent a heart procedure. My heartbeat had the regularity of a telegraph operator sending, Morse code. Fast. fast fast. Slooooow. After several failed attempts to restore healthy rhythm with medication, my doctor decided that i  should have a catheter ablation. The plan went like this: a cardiologist would insert two cables in my heart via a blood vessel. One was a camera: the other was an ablation tool. To ablate is to burn. Yes burn, cauterize, singe, brand. If all went well, the doctor, to use his coinage, would destroy the "misbehaving" parts of my heart. As I was being wheeled into surgery, he asked if I had any final questions. (Not the best choice of words.) I tried to be witty. You're burning the interior of my heart, right?"

"Correct."

"You intend to kill the misbehaving cells, yes?"

"That is my plan." "As long as you are in there, could you take your little blow- torch to some of my greed, selfishness, superiority, and guilt?" He smiled and answered, "Sorry, that's out of my pay grade." Indeed it was, but it's not out of God's. He is in the business of changing hearts.

Courtesy of the book: Grace by Author Max Lucado. ThomasNelson.( Publishers)

(Page 5)

One of the Christian World's favourite Authors: Max Lucado.

An Entity, An Alien and A Super Man:

"Goodness is its own reward."

So they say, but what happens when a life- journey becomes a struggle event after a struggle event.

You and i cannot always control the outcome.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Again, so they say!

But sometimes the universe calls our bluff and sometimes the universe sends struggle to teach us a " lesson."

What's gotten into the universe?

Is the universe "good"or "bad"?

Both?

What decides ?

Why believe something that consists of star matter, empty limitless space and infinite time to help you and me ?

Anyway,How does the universe send help to you and me ? Where in the universe does that help come from ?

Even at the speed of light, which is the fastest thing in the universe, consider the satellite Voyager  is at the moment a day of light speed-ing away ? How can that bring  help for you and me arrive in time for our daily needs ? If it comes from the centre of the universe, then it shall take billions of years before timely help arrives. Too slow,no go.

It's not a beneficial person or a supernatural being or a strange alien race !

Its unfeeling,unthinking universe.

 Is there a pool of sanity in a universe of star- stuff, infinite space and endless time?

 Parents are raising  children with the best stuff ,money and Love can obtain.

Can the universe cuddle to sleep a crying baby or help a stressed teenage Mum? An accident occurs at home, who calls the ambulance, or summons the doctor.

How on earth does the universe help ?

Here is - surely - an answer: A super person, a personal being,a supernatural entity that surpasses  or transcends matter,space and time. An alien being, All powerful, all knowing, everywhere at the same time yet outside Einsteinian space/time continuum.

Of course that being, if an Alien, with a short body, large head with bug eyes might just help a devoted grandmother to cut up pears and smash them for baby food. But you and I would probably jump not for joy but out of our bodies in alarm.

So an alien race cannot be of use.  What about a superman ?

Superman is too busy busting criminals, rescuing stranded lift passengers and on and on. He is one man, who can do one thing at a time.

So what being, a supra- natural all- Knowing,all- Loving, all- Powerful beyond- the -norm personal Being.

Where do we seek this lovely super being ? He is as close as your heartbeat,your intake of oxygen. As close as a kiss on your forehead.

He commands the life of the cosmos.

He rises with the stars but opens the mouth of a new born with that lusty cry. He sustains the energy of the living. He sustains all life.

He is beyond anything you and anyone can ever imagine. Yet knowable as hearing, seeing and as understanding you and me.

He is GOD... and he wants to help you and me.

by Digital Anvil.

Companionship:

When you long for companionship

“Then the Lord God made a woman…and he brought her to the man.” 

--Genesis 2:22 NIV

 

God recognised our need for companionship when He said, “‘It is not good for the man to be alone’…Then…God made a woman…and he brought her to the man” (vv. 18, 22 NIV). Most of us are social beings who are at our best around others. We garner energy and support from them. But there are those who feel a sense of shame over admitting their loneliness. They long for people to share their lives with but feel they must pretend they don’t need anyone.

You should not feel shame for wanting love and social connection. 

Admitting your desire to be loved and taking a step toward involvement actually requires courage. Accepting that you are a person who needs to connect is healthy. 

But problems arise when your need for companionship controls you. When you compromise your values in order to be accepted, the results are always negative. Clinging to other people without understanding who they are or what they represent is unhealthy. And the ramifications can have not only lifelong effects but sometimes also life-threatening consequences. Wise decisions about relationships are never to be made with a mind ruled by fear of loneliness or desperation. If that’s where you are, being single is a better alternative right now. It need only be temporary.

 

 So do these three things: (1) Ask God to guide you: “God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6 NIV). (2) Live by the values you’d want your loved one to hold as well. (3) Start with what you have to give and share with others, rather than with your unmet needs.

Soul Food: Deut 30:1–32:28 Matt 10:1–10 Ps 62 Pro 12:18–19

(Magnificently) many thanks to Vision.org.au

( from Digital Anvil)

Hyderabad Church:

 

 Optimism and Praise is warranted

 

 

These are photos of a big church in Hyderabad,India.

It holds about ~79,000s in the congregation. Most are poor to many middle class to some extremely rich Indians.

Outside of the Western nations like Australia, USA and Europe, this is one of the biggest.

I thought India was all Hindu and various cults and a tiny bit of Christianity. 

But--thank GOD-I was wrong.

By Digital Anvil.

 

 Deep Needs 

 

It’s tempting to think we’re strong, we’re capable, and “we’ve got this.” But in reality, we are powerless on our own. We desperately need -  in every day- help.

We are dependent on others, powers, information and tools.  

I know the importance of depending on others and God. 

“Seek the Lord and his strength."

‭‭In a world that’s constantly focused in on itself, it’s crucial to recognize our need to depend on God. We need strength, we need power, and—to put it simply—we need ! 

If you’re feeling confident in your own self-sufficiency, ask yourself: Who made this world? Who created my body, my mind, and my soul? My eyes, my legs, my lungs? Who has the power to save? Who holds the keys to life?

Just as we continually need air, we need the power and presence of God to sustain our every move.

So how can we seek His strength and support continually? By staying connected to Him: talking to Him internally throughout the day, in the middle of busy schedules, asking for His help.

God will never deny a heart that is genuinely seeking Him.

So come to Him with your weaknesses and He will give you strength. Come to Him with your questions, your needs, and your wants, and He will give you Himself, much of your needs and  a few of your wants 

 

Based on Anonymous Contribution.

 

(Final Form by Digital Anvil)

 

Songs of Sorrow 'n' Joy: ( Re-Work )  

I've forgotten how i first encountered this song but it became  significant after only 1 listen and vital after 3.

While my Zina lay dying in the final months, Love found me while my heart beat( almost in solitude) with her.

 

This was an all-time favourite of ours! 

Have a listen, tap or click link below:

 

Link to Song 

 

 

Broken Wings: Song by Mr Mister. (1985)

(Live at the Ritz:) 

 

 

(Echoed by Digital Anvil)

 

 

I think this next song (B) came  by a wonderful 'co-incidence ' ( is there really such a thing ?)

 

Disasters have a way of having an upside ( yes, there is-- really !)

 

this song of sorrow and joy is such an example.

 

enjoy the song by tapping or clicking on the link below:

 

  

Link to Song B 

 

 

Demi Lee Moore & Riaan Benadé - There Was Jesus.

 

The next songs (C ) and (D )  are substantially unique in that my Zina took me to a Sade concert to express and declare her delightfully, joyous love for me. All were her favourites, but these represent the most appreciated.

 

tap or click the link below

 

  

Link to Song C 

 

Your Love is King -- Sade. 

 

 

Tap or click the link below 

 

 

 Link to Song D

 

 

 Smooth Operator-- Sade.

 

Thanks for dropping by 

 

(From Digital Anvil ) 

Victim Mentality ?

The Victim Mentality:

The victim mentality which is essentially about the failure  to take responsibility, crippling both the individual and society

Someone else is always being asked to pay, the individual does not learn and society continues to be burdened by people who could be contributing to the greater good but ( perhaps ?) never will, because they will never take responsibility. Many psychologists and parts of the legal system seem to have encouraged this lack of responsibility by allowing the defence of syndromes. 

If we refuse to take responsibility, we also refuse to take the responsibility to change our lives for the better.  If taken seriously, then the consequential  life of the better individual ripples to that of the improved society.

A thought  echoed  by Digital Anvil.

Deduction vs Induction:

The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC ) described ways in which we infer answers:

Deduction, which is a process of reasoning from some statement to reach a logical conclusion: and

Induction, where a set of observations are synthesised to reach a general conclusion.

In deduction the answer is certain, because it is based on some known facts and the decision can follow a clear, logical process. For induction the answer is probable, because you are basing your decision on some information. but you don't necessarily have all the information that you need. You cannot make a completely logical decision from induction.

(From Digital Anvil.)

Masculinity: Are We in Danger ?

A culture that cannot name and value

Masculinity will struggle to produce it.

When it disappears, it is not only men who are diminished, but the society that depends on them.

 by Child Psychologist: Claire Rowe.

Bible - Best Seller:

Bible - Best Seller.

Do you know the best-selling book of all time? It's the Bible. 

According to Guinness World Records the Bible is the best-selling book with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed. Each year 100 million copies are sold.

Sales of the Bible in Western countries actually soared during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet at the same time as the growing sales, pollster George Gallup suggested that engagement with the Bible actually declined. 

Gallup observed “We revere the Bible but don’t read it, it is the best-selling and least-read book in America”.

There is probably a Bible in your home, or it’s in an app on your smartphone. Take some time to read it today. It is a worthwhile habit to start.

Share this daily- reading.

Our thanks to Karl Faase.

( Agreed: Digital Anvil )

The Pure Heart ?

The Pure Heart ?

How do you and I obtain one ?

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” ( Matthew 5:8 KJV)

The Greek word for “pure” is katharos, from which we get our English word “catharsis.” Psychiatrists talk about catharsis as the cleansing of a person’s destructive attitudes.

 The biblical word refers to a cleansing of all impurities from your inner spirit–impurities that include evil tendencies, evil thoughts, evil desires, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life (see 1 John 2:16).

To be pure is to have all these impurities removed so that you might reflect the character of Christ Jesus.

(Not  just a better version of oneself.)

 One of the main plagues in our society today, and even in many churches is double mindedness. We have mixed motives, a divided mind and heart. We must put an end to segregating our lives, which causes us to speak and act one way around fellow Christians and another way around those who don’t know Christ. 

To be pure in heart is to have integrity—to have your heart, your head, and your hands fully integrated and aligned with the commands of God. To be a person of integrity is to say what you believe, and then do what you say. 

Jesus said very plainly, “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24 KJV). “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” The pure in heart see God’s loving heart and mercy in every passage of Scripture. They see God in every event of history, shaping and moulding circumstances to serve His higher purposes. And they see God in the midst of their own difficulties, pain, and suffering. 

This isnt just about achieving a better version of yourself but a truly transformative experience of an integration of desire,volition and with the vastly under-estimated support of the Bible.

When your heart’s desire is to see and know God  and people better, He will fulfill that circumstance.

Much thankfulness to Vision.org.au.

( Agreed and Reworked: Digital Anvil )