Boys a-n-d Girls ( Quote )

Quote: Boys a-n-d Girls

When boys succeed, girls don't lose. Australia wins.

When East loves West, both succeed. World wins.

By Digital Anvil.

Be A "I Can" Person:

Be an “I Can” Person

“I can do all things through Christ.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Consider these examples of resistance to inventions that we now consider commonplace and enjoy every day: 

In Germany, “experts” said that if trains went as fast as fifteen to twenty miles an hour—considered a frightful speed—blood would spurt from the travellers’ noses and passengers would suffocate when going through tunnels. 

In America, experts said the introduction of the railroad would require the building of many insane asylums, since people would be driven mad with terror at the sight of the locomotives.

When the idea of iron ships was first proposed, experts insisted that they would not float, it would be difficult to preserve the iron bottom from rust, and that iron would play havoc with compass readings. In 1797, when the first cast-iron plow was invented, farmers in New Jersey rejected it, saying the cast iron would poison the ground and stimulate the growth of weeds.

 

 When the YMCA in New York welcomed the invention of the typewriter and announced typing lessons for women, protests erupted on the grounds that the female constitution would break down under the strain. Now consider these statements, each of which is a product of a negative mindset:

 (1) “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible” (Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895).

 (2) “Man will never tap the power of the atom” (Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner in physics, 1923). 

(3) “Everything that can be invented has been invented” (Charles H. Duell, U.S. Patent Office Director, 1899). If you want to accomplish great things and be used by God, become an “I can person."

Many thanks to Vision.org.au

( from Digital Anvil )

The War Against Boys 

was published 26 years ago. Are we ready to start listening to our gorgeous boys, our budding teens, and our precious young men?

Christina Hoff Sommers' The War Against Boys: How Misguided Policies are Harming Our Young Men remains one of the most important and courageous books written about boys' education and wellbeing. Published in 2000, it challenged a dominant narrative that portrayed boys as universally privileged while paying too little attention to the growing evidence that many were struggling academically, socially and emotionally. More than a quarter of a century later, many of the concerns she raised have become mainstream topics of debate...

Rather than criticising girls or opposing women's progress, Sommers argued for something much simpler: that boys also deserve compassion, fairness and evidence-based policy. She questioned educational practices, examined claims about systemic disadvantage, highlighted the decline in boys' engagement at school, and warned against ideological approaches that overlooked their needs. Her method was careful, deeply researched and driven by a desire to understand rather than inflame.

What makes this book exceptional is its empathy. Sommers refused to treat boys as problems to be fixed or stereotypes to be dismissed. Instead, she saw them as children worthy of encouragement, respect and opportunity. Her writing combines intellectual rigour with genuine compassion, reminding readers that good public policy begins by seeing people as they are, not as ideology insists they should be...

Perhaps most impressive was her willingness to challenge the orthodoxy at considerable personal cost. She asked difficult questions when few others would, modelling the kind of principled, evidence-led social critique that healthy democracies desperately need. In doing so, she laid the groundwork for many of today's discussions about boys' education, male wellbeing and gender equality.

The War Against Boys is more than a critique. It's constructive thought leadership. It remains essential reading for parents, teachers, policymakers and anyone seeking a more balanced, humane and evidence-based conversation about helping every child flourish...

Many thanks to Unknown Contributor:

( From Digital Anvil )

This recurring theme of  Boys  and  Girls essays on my blog with the costly revelations,trends and tremendous social capital that most adults give to boys a-n-d girls who in turn invest their lives into their children is cheering and wholeheartedly inspiring. But males, particularly boys and young men which are trailing girls and women with every measure and metric for decades in the education system needs to be addressed without downplaying women or girls role in modern society.

Men's Health and Adopted Vision:

 

Credit where it's due. Labor's decision to adopt a motion on Men's Health at it's National Conference is genuinely welcome. Australia's first Special Envoy for Men's Health Dan Repacholi has secured support for recognising that men face unique health challenges and deserve practical action.

But let's also be honest: this is only a first step...

The ALP's 2026 Draft National Platform devotes extensive attention to Women's Health, gender equality, women's economic participation, gender-responsive budgeting, female-dominated industries, violence against women and girls, and numerous sex-specific initiatives. Men's Health, by contrast, was absent until this conference amendment.

That's not equality. It's a huge imbalance.

Australia has one of the world's highest male suicide burdens, men account for 95% of workplace deaths, die 4-5 years younger on average, and experience 40% higher mortality for most leading causes of death. These aren't niche issues; they are major public health challenges...

The good news is that countries such as Ireland, Brazil, and a handful of others (plus some Australian states) have shown that dedicated Men's Health strategies can improve awareness, prevention, early intervention and service delivery. We should build on this momentum with measurable targets, equitable research funding, male-friendly services, better data collection, and policies driven by need rather than identity politics or assumptions about which groups deserve attention.

Supporting Men's Health doesn't diminish Women's Health. Both matter. A fair society can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Health policy should be guided by evidence, breadth of compassion, and concern for outcomes; not by victimhood hierarchies or treating one sex's needs as inherently more deserving than the other's...

Healthier men mean more fathers being actively involved in their children's lives, more husbands and sons living longer, more productive workers, stronger families and more resilient communities.

That's good public policy. And it's in Australia's national interest.

Unknown Contributor.

(Thanks and happier: Digital Anvil)

How Britain Enabled the Abuse of Thousands of Its Own Children ?

How Britain Enabled the Abuse of Thousands of Its Own Children

Last Month, a group called Restore Britain released a summary report of an inquiry into the widespread and systematic sexual exploitation of vulnerable working-class women and children across the nation. At least a quarter of a million girls were sexually assaulted, trafficked, tortured, and even killed, mostly by gangs of Pakistani Muslims. The details in the report are so horrifying, it is difficult to believe they are true.  

As shocking as the reports of abuse are the descriptions of the response by British authorities, including police, teachers, social workers, doctors, and politicians. Evidence of the abuse and reports by victims were downplayed and ignored. When Prime Minister Kier Starmer, who resigned, was Director of Public Prosecutions and the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he dismissed 13,000 cases of suspected child sexual offenders with a warning letter rather than attempt to prosecute. According to the report, the fear of being labeled racist, the fear of losing votes, the fear of rioting if prosecutions happened, and the fear of accusations of classism all contributed to a culture in which “community cohesion” became more important than protecting women and children. 

British citizens who spoke out about the abuse or expressed criticism of mass migration were often prosecuted, especially if the criticisms were directed at Pakistani or Muslim communities. In some cases, fathers attempting to rescue their daughters from abusers were even arrested. Last year alone in Great Britain, approximately 12,000 people were prosecuted for social media posts, some for longer periods than those who committed the crimes they were protesting. 

Underlying the British response and the silence by media outlets both in Britain and in the U.S. is a cultural mood common among elites and shaped by Critical Theory. Western culture is assumed to be oppressive, and minorities, especially immigrants, are assumed to be victims of Western oppression. Thus, minorities cannot be expected to be held to the same standards. Their behavior results from their oppression, and identifying criminals within a minority group, it is assumed, will foster even deeper racism and Islamophobia—a term coined by the Muslim Brotherhood to shut down criticism of Islam. In this morally upside-down world, racism and Islamophobia are worse crimes than the sexual exploitation of children. 

The gangs that have been operating in Britain have deep ideological and cultural roots shaped by Islam, including Sharia law. While most Muslims are law abiding and many imams have condemned these gangs, the scale of abuse is so widespread that it must have been known. And yet, it was allowed and even enabled in some communities. 

Also ignored is the difficult truth that Islam, on its own terms, allows child sexual exploitation and trafficking. According to Islamic teaching, Mohammad received the Quran directly from Allah through dictation from the angel Gabriel. Thus, Muslims claim, it is the perfect and unchangeable expression of how Allah wants us to live, and Mohammad was the perfect exemplar of that way of life. Therefore, Muslims should pattern their lives after him.  

Mohommad, who claimed divine approval for himself, was a polygamist and a slaver. He promised his followers unending sexual bliss in paradise along with wine and other goods they were forbidden to have in this world, if they followed him and fought along with him. He married a 6-year-old girl and consummated the marriage when she was 9.  

Many Muslims believe that, under Sharia, the same behavior is permitted with children today, and that Muslims are permitted to take non-Muslim women, married or not, as slaves. They are also permitted to abuse and humiliate them, including prostituting them for the benefit of their owners. All this is part of Sharia. 

What these gangs have done to at least 250,000 women and children in Britain is allowed by these extreme interpretations of Sharia. Many of the young men responsible for these atrocities believe they are answerable to Sharia, rather than to British law. They believe what they are doing is approved by Allah, especially when done to an enemy who is oppressing them. This is something radical Islam has in common with Critical Theory. 

This terrible story reveals why it is foolish to suggest that all cultures and religions are morally equal. They are not. Though every person is made in the image of God and fallen into sin, some cultures and religions encourage sin and fallenness, including the abuse of other image bearers.  

Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas have victims. In Great Britain alone, the victims of Islam and Critical Theory number in the hundreds of thousands.

Thanks to Breakpoint for this Report.

 

Celebrate Women a-n-d Men:

Celebrate Men A-n-d Women

We interviewed author and lecturer Nancy Pearcey in Houston, Texas. She is a lecturer at a Bible college, and in our interview she recounted a story from one of her students in a discussion on masculinity.

The student said that in her church, when they celebrate Mother’s Day, the women are showered with gifts, told that they are beautiful and wonderful, and treated with honour. On Father’s Day, however, the men are told to lift their game and do better. This student’s church reflects the attitude in our communities.

Many people refer to masculinity as toxic, and men are often vilified. Yet God created men and women with unique traits and skills to be celebrated. Let’s see the best in both women and men.

Share this daily- reading.

Thanks, Karl Faase.

( from Digital.Anvil )

One Thing:

One Thing:

"One thing I do, is forgetting what is behind and pressing on forward to the future.* "

By Digital Anvil.

Final Comment:

What is the ONE thing you have wanted to do,  the ONE thing you need to do and  having done it, forgetting it...and pressing onward to grow, evolve and move forward to the next.

*The above quote is a paraphrase of the original saying from the modern Bible.

Men Need Friendships:

Friendship For Men:

We are created by God to live in relationships - in families and friendships. It ought to be easy, we live at a time in history when we can be connected to anyone, anywhere in the world, in an instant.

Yet in 2025, a Gallup poll found that “US men aged 15 to 34 are among the loneliest in wealthy countries, with 25% reporting feeling lonely for a lot of the previous day.”

Marketing professor Scott Galloway says, “Men have it drilled into us from an early age that vulnerability and emotional connections are signs of weakness.”

I am just like your average bloke - I don’t want to be vulnerable to everyone. But I know I need to be vulnerable to some.

 

 It’s how we connect, it’s what trust and relationships are built on and it will help break the scourge of loneliness.

Share this daily- reading.

Karl, thanks.

( from Digital Anvil )

Final Comment:

You dont need to be a soft,silly sissy to make some manly men into friends.

You need to be motivated to open  some of your inner life courageously to a few trustworthy men or even just one good, trustworthy man. 

Be yourself, but with less reserve or less of, I- can - do - it- on -my -own.  

A I' ve- got-this attitude and not being so wrapped up in being a lone wolf. Even strong wolves had a pack of other wolves to journey with.

And don't despise small beginnings.

Driven: [ PANE of it]

Driven by performance,numbed by addiction and broken by experience, I encountered the supernatural at my lowest point yet moments later my highest.

From atheist to --- a theist. That encounter while on mind-altering chemicals producing nirvana,ecstatic vision and [behold] a supernatural experience reshaped my life- journey.

Creating and evolving via elapsed time, reading and transformed  by Love into the new person I am today. 

With my obvious and blind -to- me flaws, mixed attitudes, desperate beliefs and ordinary desires melded into a walking and talking Christian that I hope I am today.

Tho, elapsed time, psychology, psychiatry and helpful parents, friends and work-friends all provided support and relative calm. But all this while the floodgates of new experiences were opened,reality was being reshaped, renewed and revitalised almost monthly.

 

[All methods are candles besides the searchlight that Christianity became.]

 

 As a Uni student,my mind and poor character took existential blows that wrong beliefs, poor choices and wrong ideals produce.

Life  had reached choke- point.

 

My point of existence was broken by-- as summarised-- by performative living, harmful addictions and poorly-thought-out worldviews.

Although I remember where I came from, yet I have not arrived at the final destination.

Belonging,  meaning and purpose according to persons like Os Guinness are the essential pillars of human life. But I suggest that there is a necessary spiritual component as well. Many of you will shut down in disbelief and click away having read that.

Although science and its sister,  technology often lead the way in the world,science can not explain nor cure everything. Many reading this will shut down their interest and break away. Tho neuroscience has reached sparkling heights, scripture was there 2,000 years earlier. Oxytocin may be the hormone the brain releases during loving interaction, however it can not  fully explain all the dimensions of  Love.

The  much vaunted Enlightenment period  summed in one word is "reason"

 

 Life is much more than reason, so it can never be captured and explained by reason alone—crucial and valuable though reason is. Apply reason as carefully and systematically as you like, and there will always be things it cannot explain, things that simply will not fit into its categories, however hard you push, press and pull

            Os Guiness

 

        

    It was von Neumann who conceived the idea of programming that led to the computer—the notion that you can break down a problem into a series of simple steps that can be manipulated as numbers are manipulated. But what works for a machine does not work for a human being. If only we humans were more logical, or were only logical.

            Os Guiness. 

 

 

Well with the advent of BASIC, Ruby and other digital yet plainer English programming languages, computers released mankind from analog mediocrity and evolved the western world into a potential Utopian global fiefdom.

But human logic potential isn't enough, other elements predominate regally above reason. Who hasn't felt a unmet need or experienced a broken heart. Or watched a beloved pet slowly die. How  can science comfort a perceived failure? Isn't there a dimension beyond the spacetime continuum? Is a Black Forest Birthday cake just ingredients or is there more to it ? What about a broke gambler whose debt is more than money? Or a girl whose dance dress is "unflattering" and a Mum who needs me time ( to herself) with two little boy toddlers in tow while husband is at work?

 

Knowing that the impossible just might be possible with a benevolent GOD hidden from view but involved, caring and readily supportive cracks open living hope and releases it from its earthy prison. Not just a caring GOD but with all supernatural resources to unleash.

 

 That's what i discovered with Christianity.

 

 Clear across the divide between earth and heaven is a mighty Being whose clear aim is to help the orphan, the harassed Mum,the homeless woman with a  young girl  living in a car and the team of Netball girls whose flagging spirits need another inspired goal to perhaps win the trophy.

Whether you believe or not, the supra -natural is a heartbeat closer than you dare think. Ask GOD humbly and you'll find that He will not deceive you.

Since the Universe is infinite, then heaven lies somewhere beyond and its not  an address of 42 universal avenue.

By Digital Anvil.

O'h Boy!

In mid-2026, Oh Boy! by Dr Michael Nagel is one of the most important books that people in Australia, the UK, the US and other Western nations could read. As education systems face growing scrutiny over boys' declining academic outcomes, disengagement, behavioural challenges and widening gender gaps, Nagel provides an evidence-based roadmap for understanding what many schools have overlooked...

For more than two decades, Michael Nagel has been one of Australia's leading voices on boys' education. He is our version of America's Michael Gurian. Through Nagel's teaching, research, university work and earlier books on educational neuroscience and learning, he has consistently translated complex scientific evidence into practical strategies that teachers and parents can use. Oh Boy! represents the culmination of that long commitment.

Rather than relying on ideology or stereotypes, Nagel draws on neuroscience, developmental psychology and classroom experience to explain how: boys often learn differently; why movement, purpose, challenge and positive relationships matter; and how schools can better harness boys' strengths instead of constantly focusing on their deficits... He also shows why many behavioural differences are developmentally normal, and why recognising them leads to better outcomes for everyone.

Perhaps the book's greatest strength is its practicality. Teachers gain immediately applicable classroom strategies, parents better understand their sons, and school leaders are challenged to create environments where boys can thrive academically, socially and emotionally. Anyone with an interest in boys, or a love for our precious young men, should read this book.

At a time when many countries are finally recognising that boys are falling behind, Oh Boy! deserves to be widely read. I highly recommend it to teachers, principals, education policymakers, parents, university educators and anyone committed to giving boys every opportunity to succeed. It's thoughtful, balanced, compassionate and exactly the kind of evidence-informed conversation that our education systems need right now...

By  Unknown Contributor.

(From Digital Anvil.)

Women: They are the Best- especially if >>>

Many 'now' women exude too focused self- love, subjective superiority and are over- entitled by some feminist ideals.

I know that feminism was necessary but the movement is now going too far.

Men and in particular Western boys are being told that they are unwanted, uninvited and unwelcome! Thus they are being cut loose by some of the female status quo. My essay is motivated and derived from the  sudden knowledge that for males under 35 years old,the leading cause of death is suicide. This is triple and a bit more than the suicide rate of females under 35. What is happening to younger males in AU ? In other western nations, similar statistics are being recorded,

But this is truly so and there is more to address here...

 Their (normal testosterone -inspired) 'advances' are sometimes characterised  or rebuffed as creepy,toxic,unappreciated and "since we Girls are now b-e-tter that males, what a waste of time, even  sex with males is viewed differently while  undergoing changes." I believe that younger males are being unfairly demonised by a loud minority.

 

is there an insistent matriarchy persisting? 

 Men as leaders are under -fire as though they are clueless, too driven, too exultantly minded, short-sighted and poor substitutes --at least in gaga-land. as though such are better trained for elsewhere. Yet males are the almost exclusively firies,armed personnel, mineworkers, rigworkers and police. Vocations dealing with potential injuries,death and destruction. Vocations  which are  being altered in recent years. Salaries and wages,oft viewed as wholly male- centric are not now the norm with many females in traditionally male- dominated roles earning some Ks more than men.

 The glass ceiling has been shattered.

 Now males languish in all metrics in the education pipeline trailing well behind women in many degree necessary jobs.

AI-it would seem - dealing with classic entry- level roles severely and adding to the woes of once male- dominant occupations.

This is a poor situation in the West!

 Where the sexes are  seemingly blaming each other for some of their own issues, instead of  addressing wider social problems.

After centuries of  virtual second class citizenship women that endured,  masculinity had a bad rap sheet! 

But not every male thought or thinks this way, just those  few villains on the extreme - end of the continuum.

Men learn,lead and signify better, but  vocal women sometimes call it empowerment when the girlboss arrives or when mens' health or talent is somehow compromised.

But this is not the overall consensus.

 

Many more traditionally thinking girls and women are re-capturing the lost light of so- called toxic masculinity.

 

 Men,some of the most errantly influential deserved rejection and banishment,even death ( think Hitler, Pol pot, and Idi Amin and other unmentionables )

However the transformation of the unmistakable "social  malaise" had largely been necessary but not-- in my opinion anymore.

Decades of masculinity in decline has been more noticeable in some  circles than in others. Attention has returned its focus onto the demise of masculinity and its role in the home, workplace, education and nation with many speakers, authors and reformers having beaten their warring drums, raised their mics and broken old and new ground.

Christianity, however, strikes a notable balance between males and females.

Hundreds of decades ago,one man challenged social norms and treated children,girls and women with dignity,respect and gentleness.

Rich and poor Women (and visionary men ) flocked to support him with coin, resources and  then spread the good news.

That Man was Jesus.

His moment became a global movement.

By Digital Anvil.

 

I thank Amy for her welcome input and corrections. 

Walk in Fear or Walk in Love

Walk in Fear or Walk in Love

“Perfect love drives out fear.” 1 John 4:18 NIV

Research showing that love mindsets are the norm while fear mindsets are learned is revolutionary for scientists.

 But it’s not new if you look at Scripture: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”

Over the past several decades, scientists have researched the anatomy and physiology of love and fear. These are two different systems, and at any one conscious moment, we will be operating in one or the other.

Science is showing us that there is a massive “unlearning” of negative toxic thoughts when we operate in love. We can unlearn negative fear—it is not part of our innate natural functioning. Recent neuroscientific research demonstrates that some of the chemicals the brain releases when we are operating in love include oxytocin, which literally melts away the negative toxic thought clusters so that rewiring of new, non-toxic circuits can happen. This chemical also flows when we trust, bond, and reach out to others. So, choosing to operate in love can literally “drive out fear.” 

Research also shows that when we do good things and reach out in love, endorphins and serotonin are also released. These detoxify our brains and increase our motivation and wisdom, helping us handle life more successfully. We see the profound consequences of choosing between love and fear in Scripture: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV). 

In Ecclesiastes 7:29 (NLT) we are told, “God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.” 

The choice is yours: walk in fear or walk in love.

SoulFood: Zeph 1–3 Matt 27:45–56 Ps 65 Pro 19:5–8

My gratitude to Vision.org.au

( from Digital Anvil )

Quote of the Week: Surveillance and Knowledge: Shoshana Zuboff:

 

Quote Of the Week:

 

Within the domain of  Surveillance and Knowledge: 

 

 

As Shoshana Zuboff explained to New York in 2019,  the High- tech industry

"was creating predictive knowledge  and they're selling that predictive knowledge:"

The idea is that data collection could make our online experiences more personalised 

 

 "But they 're selling it to others, not to us" she added, " real knowledge about us but not for us."

 

 The essential question of post- modern world:

 

 "When does surveillance cease to keep us safe.?"

 

By Digital Anvil. 

You Do Not Need to Earn Your Value:

You Do Not Need to Earn Your Value

 

One of the hardest beliefs to release is the idea that your value must be earned. 

You may begin to believe you need to achieve more. Perform more. Prove more. Become more. Only then will you finally feel enough. But earned worth has a problem.

The standard keeps moving. 

There is always another goal. Another comparison. Another reason to believe you are not there yet. Performance pressure often promises satisfaction but keeps moving the finish line. This creates exhaustion. Because no matter what you accomplish, there is always another expectation waiting.

Scripture points somewhere different. Your value is not created by achievement. Your worth does not begin when you become more impressive. Psalm 139 reminds us that God’s care and attention toward us existed before accomplishment.

This does not remove the importance of growth. It changes the foundation. Growth becomes something you pursue, not something you use to justify your value.

You can continue becoming. You can continue learning. You can continue improving.

Without treating yourself like a project that must constantly prove itself.

Reflection

What standards have you been using to decide whether you are enough?

Prayer

God, help me stop measuring my value through performance and comparison.

Teach me to see myself through Your perspective.

Help me grow from a place of security rather than pressure.

Amen.

Psalms 139:14 NIV

[14] I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

From an Unknown Contributor.

Many thanks, anyway enjoy.

( from Digital Anvil)

Blessings beyond your imagination

Monday 20th July 2026

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20 NIV

God can create something out of nothing. He can seemingly come out of nowhere, and just when you need Him most, give you something you don’t even have a category for. 

God says: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).

You say, “If God has blessings that I don’t even have categories for, how can I ask for them?” That’s where the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you, comes to your aid: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us…in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27 NIV). And because the Holy Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God, you are blessed with wisdom beyond your knowledge, power beyond your strength, and favour beyond your ability. 

Paul the Apostle put it this way: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV). 

Now you still must do your due diligence, for God cannot bless negligence. But when you know you’ve faithfully done your part and obeyed God, you can trust Him for blessings beyond your imagination.

SoulFood: 1 Tim 4–6 Matt 27:27–32 Ps 146 Pro 18:23–24

My heartfelt thanks to Vision.org.au (From Digital Anvil )

I Would Give My Life To Play Piano Like That!

A story is told of a businessman meeting with world-renowned classical pianist, Richard Clayderman. The businessman said to Clayderman, "I would give my life to play the piano like that." To which Clayderman is said to have replied, "I did."

We love to see success and talent like that of Richard Clayderman. It is a rare art. Yet perhaps it is rare because we are not willing to pay the price for gaining that talent. In an instant world, we are not used to waiting or giving ourselves tirelessly to something that might take years.

Jesus challenged His followers to take up their cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). In other words, to gain the eternal benefit of knowing Jesus, they would have to pay for it with their lives.

Just like Clayderman's skills on the keys, anything worthwhile comes at a cost.

Share this daily- reading.

Thanks,Karl Faase.

( from Digital Anvil )

Sanctity of Life:

In the course of  a conversation between Walther Rathenau and Albert Einstein, the following was said,

" There is no simpler way to express the awareness of the sacredness and connectedness of life as it lives in the Jewish people. "

This above quote reveals the strength of  belief of the sanctity of life in the Jewish people.

(by Digital Anvil.)

Final Comment:

(Even though there are detractors,enemies and Allies and supporters of the Jewish identity, the above quote remains true and soluble in the consciousness of the human race. In fact, there are religious and philosophical systems that concur with that concept.)

Films: Are They Getting Worse ? 

 

 

Almost everyone admits films and shows keep getting worse. Few understand why.

Nolan casts Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy. 

One Battle After Another turns left-wing violence into spectacle and the prestige class applauds. 

Star Wars, once a cultural tidal wave, run into the ground. 

Marvel spends a decade building to Endgame, then shoehorns a weightless "she's not alone" into the climax.

The decline you sense is real. 

The cause is simple: art has become propaganda.

Here is how to tell them apart. If the politics serves the story, it is art. Game of Thrones is an excellent example of this. 

If the story serves the politics, it is propaganda. See: The Boys.

They tell us these stories are made-up, so make them however you like. But a myth is the moral reflection of a people — where a culture stores what it learned across centuries about what builds a world and what wrecks it.

Tell a people its myths are arbitrary and you have already begun to unmake them.

Notice the rewriters never build anything. They author no new myths that earn their place. They take the stories we love and drive them into the dirt.

By 'Liam Out Loud.'

 

( A Good, Original Explainer) 

 

 

What Happens When: 

 

 a Christian professor at a Christian college is disciplined for expressing a belief he says is rooted in historic Christian teaching?

That question is at the center of a growing legal battle in the United Kingdom, and it is sparking conversations far beyond one campus.

Dr. Aaron Edwards, a theology lecturer formerly employed by Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, says he was dismissed after posting a social media message defending traditional Christian views on sexuality and marriage.

The controversy began when Edwards published a tweet expressing concern that some churches were becoming hesitant to address biblical teachings on sin, sexuality, and repentance. The post generated intense reaction and eventually led to disciplinary action and his departure from the college.

Now, Edwards is pursuing legal action, saying his goal is not only to seek justice for his own situation but also to raise awareness about what he believes is a growing challenge facing Christians who publicly express traditional biblical convictions.

"This is a Gospel issue," Edwards argued, explaining that Christianity's message of salvation is tied to its understanding of sin and redemption.

Regardless of where people stand on the broader debate, the case raises questions many believers are wrestling with today.

How should Christians speak about controversial issues while showing compassion and grace?

Can historic biblical convictions be expressed openly without fear of professional consequences?

And what happens when disagreements over doctrine emerge within Christian institutions themselves?

For Edwards, one of the most painful aspects of the situation is not opposition from secular culture, but conflict within a faith-based environment. He has said it feels different when disagreements arise among people who share the same Christian identity and mission.

Supporters of Edwards argue that theological educators should be free to articulate orthodox Christian beliefs without fear of losing their positions. Others maintain that institutions have responsibilities regarding how staff communicate sensitive issues publicly.

As the legal process unfolds, many academics, pastors, and Christian leaders will be watching closely.

Edwards believes the outcome could influence how future cases are handled and whether other believers feel confident speaking openly about their convictions.

Whatever one's perspective, the story serves as a reminder that faithfulness has often required courage. Throughout church history, believers have wrestled with how to hold firmly to conviction while extending love, humility, and respect to those who disagree.

Perhaps that challenge remains as relevant today as ever.

In a culture marked by division and outrage, Christians are called to pursue both truth and grace. Neither should be sacrificed. Both matter.

As this conversation continues, it is worth praying for wisdom, humility, and courage for everyone involved. Because the way we navigate difficult conversations may say as much about our faith as the convictions we hold.

What are your thoughts on balancing biblical conviction and Christian compassion in today's culture?

Anonymous Contributor.

(From Digital Anvil)

A Good Man in Africa:

William Boyd's debut novel A Good Man in Africa is one of the funniest books that I've read in quite some time. Set in a fictional West African nation on the brink of political upheaval, it combines razor-sharp wit, memorable characters, diplomatic intrigue, and moments of genuine tension into an immensely entertaining story. Boyd has an extraordinary ability to find comedy in human weakness without losing sight of the deeper truths about ambition, fear, and self-deception.

The greatest pleasure of reading this novel is its humour. The dialogue sparkles, the situations become increasingly absurd, and the protagonist's attempts to navigate both political chaos and his own personal failings create a constant stream of laugh-out-loud moments. 

Yet beneath the comedy lies a perceptive satire of bureaucracy, colonial legacies, and the often ridiculous nature of power.

From a male perspective, Morgan Leafy is refreshingly human. He is neither a flawless hero nor an irredeemable villain, but an imperfect man wrestling with temptation, responsibility, insecurity, and the expectations placed upon him. Boyd presents masculinity as complex and worthy of examination, showing both its weaknesses and its capacity for resilience. The novel's male characters are diverse, believable, and recognisably human rather than simplistic stereotypes.

Published in 1981, A Good Man in Africa remains remarkably fresh, thanks to Boyd's elegant prose and timeless observations about politics and human nature. It won the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Somerset Maugham Award. It's an intelligent, witty, and highly enjoyable novel that deserves its reputation as a modern comic classic. If you appreciate literary fiction with biting satire, unforgettable humour, and richly drawn characters, this is a book that's well worth reading.

Unknown Contributor.

( from Digital Anvil)

A Woman's Emotions

 

 A Woman's Emotions:

 

Today's post is a portion of my essay. A Topic that is personally relevant and true to life..

 

 Our relationships would be better if we came into them with wholeness, but it's a fact that before we were involved in a long-term relationship, we carried baggage with us.

 

But achieving wholeness can take a long time or even a life-time.

I firmly believe that the circumstances of the marriage or long-term relationship provide the way to wholeness. Yes, God provides for your healing and your partner's healing in the long-term relationship or marriage.

Emotional healing happens faster in a marriage or within the context of a loving, committed, forgiving, love relationship because the hurting person often feels safe enough to face the pain of the past or your partner does not have to hold it together or keep up an image or pretend there is no hurt. If you discovered a variety of hurts and emotions began to surface in your wife or partner - things you weren't aware of before- rejoice that you have been deemed trustworthy enough to be her support through her healing.

 

Please don't run from the task or situation or be afraid of it.

 

Remember, you are the personal 'tool' in God's hand, but only God can fix damaged emotions. He will do it from the inside out and in His way and timing. Your prayers are crucial to keeping the devil at bay and supporting other elements while this is accomplished.

 

While some of our emotions are the outcome of our emotional response to everyday situations, I firmly believe that sometimes events happen where and when we exclaim, 

Why did I do that? 

We are bewildered by our actions and their resultant emotions. No one has not beaten themselves up for doing the inexplicable. 

It should be fairly obvious that all the deep emotional hurts accompanied with tearful episodes need to be healed by a loving, gentle husband or partner with the  All powerful divine Being known as the Heavenly Father. The process is carried out because you are the safe habour whom God has chosen to be a shelter and spiritual covering during her trial.

Tell her that you are praying for her and that you love her more than ever. Keep her calm, free from negative interference.

 With the journey, you shall find that your stronger,  finely-tuned violin shall bring forth splendid music and sweetness like radiant sunshine. The atmosphere is brighter and richer for the both of you.

 I am indebted to my lovely Sister in Law, who has maintained a daily prayer and mutual support 'avenue' for my hurting Wife. As well as her outstanding Counsellor who provided so much loving, emotional and relational support. I am truly glad for Crossway Baptist: Lifecare Centre.

 

 Quote of the Week:

 

 This is disturbing 

...."clerics [in Iran] always knew what Washington seems to have taken four months to accept: the [ Iranian  Theopotic & Tryannicratic ] regime was never lodged in one man[Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ] but rather in a clergy,[ Iranian Senior leadership ] a security apparatus [ IRGC] and a doctrine,[Radical Islam ] and all three came through the bombs intact."

From Gatestone Institute essay by Pierre Rehov.

Context: Extended deals or MOU between Iran and USA. With the backdrop of the deaths of upper -most leadership,loss of missile and other war- waging infrastructure, damaged Nuclear installations, iranian navy, bloodbath January Uprising of ordinary but brave citizens and the attacks on other Gulf nations with drone attacks of commercial shipping and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.

By Digital Anvil.

Make My Life Count: (Re-work)

On 7th July 2005, terrorists targeted the London Underground Tube system, carrying out coordinated bomb attacks that killed 52 people and injured over 700 others. One of those severely injured was Australian Gillian Hicks.

She was travelling between King's Cross and Russell Square Station when a bomb exploded in her carriage. She lost the lower half of both her legs.

As Hicks waited for paramedics that July morning in the tube wreckage, she made what she describes as a "contract" with herself: if she survived, she would make her life count.

Years after the attack, in a documentary, Hicks reflected on the ways she has done this.

You don’t have to survive a terrorist attack on the London Tube to make that commitment. Let’s decide today to live with purpose; it’s why God created us.

 

Share this daily- reading.

 

Karl Faase,thanks.

 

( from Digital Anvil )

 

 Personal Note:

Once and then again, I encountered Christianity  I began losing  the drive for performative living. Living a consumer lifestyle fashioned around work/weekend driven by too many [ marketed]  but [ profitable ] fake needs styled by Hi-Tech, Corps and fashionable lies chasing fruitless outcomes.

While renewing, with some time, my hard-wiring of false meta- narratives occasioned by some fake societal demands in a post modern worldview, I re-discovered purpose and meaning and belonging with a newer " contract " with greater & freer society. Looking no further than Christianity.✅️

J.K. Rowling: Billionaire Philanthropist.

When people say they hate billionaires, I always wonder...

Which ones?

Because here's one using her wealth to fight for people who don't have the same power.

Media headlines rarely call her one of the world's most successful businesswomen.

They rarely call her a billionaire philanthropist.

They rarely call her a woman who has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charity. Instead it's almost always...

"Harry Potter author J K Rowling..."

As though reducing one of the most successful women in modern history to the books she wrote somehow makes her easier to dismiss.

Insert eye roll.

Here's what that "Harry Potter author" has actually done.

She has donated hundreds of millions to charities supporting children, families, multiple sclerosis research, poverty relief and humanitarian causes.

She founded Lumos, a charity working to end the institutionalisation of children around the world.

She has financially supported women escaping domestic violence and sexual abuse.

She has established the JK Rowling Women's Fund to support legal action where women and girls' sex based rights are being challenged.

And now she has publicly offered to fund legal action after reports emerged that a 13 year old girl was housed in a secure unit with older male teenagers despite raising concerns for her own safety.

Whether you agree with every opinion she holds is your choice.

Whether you agree that vulnerable girls deserve protection should not be controversial.

People often complain that billionaires don't use their money to make a difference.

Well...

Here's one who is.

She's putting her own reputation, her own wealth and her own resources behind causes she believes protect women and children.

You don't have to agree with everything someone says to recognise courage when you see it. Personally, I'd rather see powerful people use their influence than sit quietly to protect their public image.

That's TRUE leadership.

And that's worthy of respect.

Has the media reduced J K Rowling to "the Harry Potter author" because it's accurate... or because calling her one of the world's most influential and generous women makes her much harder to dismiss?

Unknown Contributor.

( from Digital Anvil )

 Why are Young People so Unhappy and Nobody Knows Why? (Re-Work)

 

Wisdom, veracity and determination presenting>>> 

 

It's difficult to fully comprehend the social movements that dominate some, if not all, Western Civilisation's Nations normally associated with the long-term echo of the so -called sexual, social and political and the  cultural revolution of the 50s ,60s and 70s.

Dominating this revolution was the rise of the female activity known as Feminism. Heroines such as Germaine Greer and many vocal others promoted and evolved the ideology that women and girls need to unshackle themselves from auspices of  domineering men who by their very masculine nature were "toxic oppressors" of the female sex.

 Although this correction was substantially needed by many accounts, the  transforming pendulum needs to swing back to equilibrium.

It is with that statement that i ask you (and other) to pay attention or mindfully consider this ARC panel of four by watching  to its conclusion.

 tap or click the linked video below. 

 

ARC Panel on Boys and Girls

 

I thank the inclusion of Freya India for calm wisdom with the other young panelists. Approximate running time 13 mins

 

by Digital Anvil. 

 

Final Comment:

In my own believed opinion, the transforming pendulum should be at rest,   Middle-position or equilibrium. As simply and as far as possible, neither one way or the other. Equal in mutual power, position and love as complete as possible as imperfect persons of either sex can be. Equal Respect and Love accorded to both. 

I believe that is only possible in the Judeo-Christian tradition of the early  forging of another view of femaleness and maleness throughout the ensuing centuries. Often misinterpreted by forces inimical to the free rule of respect  & love for either sex and in the pursuit of the uplift of all humanity.

Perhaps you and many shall discover the true meaning of living by a willingness to explore beliefs primarily unknown and maligned publicly to most. Sometimes, it is necessary to pause, reflect and re-discover the fundamental of *Love* in life. Only *Love* is greater than everything else. Only Love is worth dying for, it's worth giving up everything in order to live with *Love*

 

The Bible Full of Ordinary People:

Bible Full Of Ordinary People

One of the most instructive aspects of reading the Bible is discovering that its characters are ordinary people, most of whom we can relate to.

The Bible is not full of people whose lives are morally upright and perfect in every way. The characters who feature throughout its pages live messy lives. They often make mistakes, poor choices and have bad attitudes. They let others down and fail to live up to expectations.

Yet many are still heroic and faithful: they live out God's values in the midst of their failures.

They remind us that following Jesus is not about getting it right all the time, but about living in the knowledge that we are forgiven.

 

 God offers us a fresh start every day.

Share this daily- reading.

My earnest thanks,Karl Faase.

( from Digital Anvil )

Prayed About It ?

Have you prayed about it?

“You do not have because you do not ask.” James 4:2 NIV

From the beginning of the Bible to its conclusion, we see absolute evidence that God answers prayer. Things that we think are impossible, God does when people pray! When we pray, we align ourselves with the purposes of God and tap into the power of the Almighty. Because we pray, God works through us in ways He wouldn’t otherwise.

God has made certain things dependent upon prayer, things that will never be done unless we pray. Could God do whatever He chooses without our prayer? Of course. 

But God has determined that He will use the prayers of His people to accomplish His purposes. When we do not pray, we limit what God will do in our lives. 

Some may not like the sound of this, but if it were not true, what could James mean when he writes: “You do not have because you do not ask?” Why would Paul ask some friends to, “Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured…that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 NIV), if he did not believe their prayers had the power to change his circumstances? Both James and Paul believed that God might well withhold His hand of blessing from them if they neglected to pray.

 Since they wanted all the blessing available to them, they not only prayed themselves, they recruited others to pray for them. They never wanted to limit what God might be pleased to do in and through them by failing to pray. And if you want all the blessing God has available, you too must pray.

SoulFood: 2 Sam 3:22–7:17 Matt 24:36–51 Ps 110 Pro 17:15–17

My Thanka to  the  Website: Vision.org.au for this daily reading.

( from Digital Anvil )

The Decline of Attention Spans Dr. Gloria Mark has been studying the declining attention span of adults for 20 years.  In the study, they measured how long an adult would stay on a particular task, in 2004 the average time was about 150 seconds. By 2012, the focused attention time was cut in half to 75 seconds. By 2020, the time was down to an average of 47 seconds. James Emery White, a pastor, author, and cultural commentator who studies trends affecting faith and the church, writes, “Whatever it is we are attempting to convey, much less explain, will need to be communicated more frequently in shorter bursts of ‘snackable content’ because members of Generation Z are the ‘ultimate consumers of snack media.’” We may enjoy the bite-sized information that social media gives us. However, the most important parts of our lives and especially our personal faith will take concentrated times of focus.  Don’t snack-feed your faith.   Share this daily - reading. Thanks Karl Faase. ( from Digital Faith )

Spirituality Aids Recovery:

Spirituality Aids Recovery

Numerous studies, released in 2022 have shown that spirituality can help improve the quality of life for people with chronic diseases such as cancer.

Rachel S. Tobin, then a resident in Internal Medicine at Duke University Hospital, wrote that “...spirituality can also have a positive impact on quality of life for heart failure patients.”

This may surprise some people who think that our health is determined by science and medicine. Faith or spirituality is believed to be irrelevant to recovery, but that is not what research is showing us.

The articles discussing the research suggested that “...not only can spirituality improve quality of life for the patient, it can help support caregivers.”

Your faith is not just about a personal experience or emotional health. It impacts every part of your life.

Share this daily- reading.

Thank you, Karl Faase.

( from Digital Anvil )

Peace to be Gained:

Today, reflecting on peace: To the weary or overwhelmed, peace can be elusive. Saying " don't worry." can be a trigger to more anxiety or worry.

But there remains a solution. If you are a person who understands spiritual things then what i suggest you do shall restore some peace>>>

Prayer is everything..

Prayer reminds us we are not alone. It is relational and formational, renewing our minds and realigning our perspective as we cry out to God.

Prayer & Petition: invites specificity: naming our fears, needs, and hopes.

Thanksgiving reshapes our posture, anchoring us in remembrance and trust.

This practice – repeated not occasionally but in every situation – prepares the soil of our hearts for God’s peace to take root. This peace is unlike anything the world can fabricate. It “transcends all understanding” (NIV) because it doesn’t come from our circumstances but from Christ Himself. Paul, the great Apostle, even describes it as a guard: actively protecting our hearts and minds from being overwhelmed, disoriented, or consumed.

Let this deep truth land: putting Jesus first in your life is the only path to true peace, because true peace only comes from Him. The more we prioritise noticing God’s nearness, turning to Him with openness, and thanking Him for His grace, the more our lives become anchored – even when storms rage.

So don’t delay. Practice peace today. Go to Jesus first – again and again – with your prayers, petitions and gratitude. He is near. And He loves you.

Practice: Take 1-2 minutes today, and each day this week, to pause and do three things:

1. Acknowledge God’s nearness — say aloud or write: “The Lord is near.”

2. Name your worries — in prayer, present one specific anxiety or burden to God. Be honest and clear.

3. Give thanks — name three things you’re grateful for, however small.

Let this become a daily ‘peace practice’ of letting go and leaning in.

A Simple attitude of thanks:

 I receive the gift of your peace – the peace that transcends my understanding. 

Amen.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

[6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

( Adapted. Final form by Digital Anvil)