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Trump Is Not the Political Messiah - Will the Christian Right & White Evangelical Church Repent?

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 Trump is not the political Messiah.  It feels strange to even need to say that. Any casual reader of the Gospels knows that first-century Judaism longed for a Messiah—a political messiah who would free them from the shackles and chains of Roman occupation, restore their self-determination and governance, and lead them back to a kingdom in right standing with God. But when the Messiah did come, they rejected him. Why? Because he wasn't a political messiah, instead he was a spiritual messiah. Jesus prioritized transforming people's hearts, minds, and spirits over reshaping the structure of a nation. Jesus came to build a kingdom not made with man's hands. Many Jews rejected Jesus, continuing to search for a political messiah who would never come—because God’s plan was not to send one until the end of the age, when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. This is well documented in the Scripture and 2,000+ years of Church history. So why are the C...

Past is Prologue: A Second Trump Term Will Be Worse

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Trump's first term in office lead to economic downturns. Donald J. Trump came into office in 2017 riding the wave of an Obama economy for which he quickly took credit. However, due to his poor economic policies there were severe economic repercussions that the Biden administration worked hard to stem. Sadly, Trump's base believed the lies he peddled and blamed economic woes on the Biden administration. But that's not how it works. Past is Prologue Tariffs, tax cuts, and inadequate responses to crises like COVID—exacerbated economic disparities, inflation, and supply chain disruptions, leading to hardship for everyday people. A second term for Donald Trump will bring intensified challenges, especially if past policies and approaches are revived or expanded. His plans for more tariffs, additional tax cuts for the wealthy, and mass deportations will result in a broken economy with grave outcomes. Understanding Economic Impact Tax Cuts : The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) pr...

America is Babylon - How Historical Conditioning Led to the Rise of Fascism

Babylon is the archetype of a nation or empire that is consumed with wealth, power, and a disregard for justice. Sadly America has chosen fascism over freedom. The strongholds of racism and sexism trumps clear thinking and personal safety. The rise of ideologies and leaders that promote division and authoritarianism over unity and genuine freedom is problematic, especially when it seems that such choices are fueled by long-standing strongholds like racism, sexism, and fear. The idea that people would favor leaders whose actions threaten democracy and stability underscores just how powerful these societal and spiritual strongholds are. 1. Understanding Strongholds Definition : In biblical terms, strongholds are deeply ingrained patterns of thought, attitudes, and social structures that oppose God’s truth ( 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 ). Racism and sexism are more than just individual prejudices; they are reinforced by cultural norms, policies, and even religious teachings that perpetuate inequ...

The Truth about the Economy & Presidents - Election 2024

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So in an election year the GOP loves to tell the lie that they are the best party for the economy. THEY ARE NOT.  The Economic Truth. Every Republican president from Reagan, to both Bush presidents, to Trump have caused a recession, increased the deficit and instituted policies that increased inflation.  1. Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) Recession : Reagan inherited a severe recession in 1981-1982, which was triggered by high inflation (from the 1970s) and efforts by the Federal Reserve to curb it by raising interest rates. The recession ended in late 1982, and economic recovery followed. Deficit : Reagan’s policies, particularly large tax cuts (Reaganomics) and increased defense spending, led to significant deficits. The national debt tripled during his presidency . 2. George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) Recession : The U.S. entered a recession in 1990-1991 , partly due to the savings and loan crisis and oil price shocks from the Gulf War. This recession contributed to Bush’s loss in th...

I Remember and We are Not Going Back

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Zakar in Hebrew means remember. אני זוכר ani zocher  = I remember.  I remember Hurricane Maria I remember the suffering in Puerto Rico I remember the cruelty from trump & the GOP Like an elephant 🐘 I remember Recuerdo | Marc Anthony for Harris-Walz 2024 I remember trump  Tear Gassing Peaceful Protestors in 2020 I remember the January 6, 2021 Insurrection I remember the mismanagement of COVID by trump leading to millions of infections, the most in the world, and unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands ‘To heal, we must remember,’  President-elect Joe  Biden says during COVID-19 memorial To Heal We Must Remember Vote Like Your Life Depends on It Your politics are your own and in a normal election I would state my position and respect your choice if you didn't select my candidate(s). But this is not a normal election. A large segment of trump followers are radicalized and conditioned. They are blinded by partisan politics and hate. Tr...

VOTE - The Election of 2024

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I am motivated and inspired by the spirit of Americans of all hues, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds coming together for freedom and standing up against fascism. Because what we are NOT going to do is go back. #WeAreNotGoingBack Civics This election cycle is pivotal and monumental in American polity and history. Civic professors have been in their hey day since Barack Obama's historical presidential run and win in 2008 and reelection in 2012. Yet America entered a dark and dangerous period in 2016 culminating in the deaths of a million Americans from a mismanaged pandemic. Babies separated from their mothers, who were seeking asylum, and placed in jail. Some of those children are still lost in the system. Some were killed, others trafficked. Shameless that the 45th president's response to people running away from terror and seeking asylum was to terrorize them even more. God is not pleased . And if all of that wasn't heinous enough the 45th president fomented a...

Miscarriage Care is not an Abortion

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For the umpteenth time Miscarriage care is NOT an abortion!       Vote - Vote Responsibly - Because Your Life Depends on It. I am Pro Life - Yes I believe in the Sanctity of Life, all Life. But I also have common sense and believe that when a pregnancy is NOT viable that you provide the mother with life saving medical care, using proven medical procedures to evacuate her uterus and ensure she can conceive and have a live birth the next time! Miscarriage A miscarriage is not a criminal act. It is a non-viable pregnancy. It is a time of mourning for a family wanting to have a child and cannot because of something that went wrong during the development of the fetus. LEARN BIOLOGY GOP. An ectopic pregnancy is a non-viable pregnancy.  The tragic and heartbreaking events occurring in Texas, and other states, that are denying women life saving medical care is abominable. I don't just blame the politicians like Governor Greg Abbott, I also blame the hospi...

The Antidote to Anxiety - Moving Past Fear to Hope

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As I am putting the finishing touches on my main website, testing it and making enhancements, I am reminded of Scripture that reminds us not to worry or fear, which is particularly salient now because I am embarking on several new ventures that frankly can cause one to worry and fear. But, instead of worrying and being filled with anxiety and fear I will put my trust in my Lord & Savior. Music that Inspires This week's #MusicThatInspires is by Anthony Brown & group therAPy. Their video Trust In You blessed me and I hope it blesses you too. 2024 Pipeline Exciting things are in the pipeline for 2024. I'm not at liberty to discuss everything, but I am excited to announce the refresh of my main website  www.tanyaowens.com  coming March 2024. In tandem with the website refresh I opened several online stores which complements my website and is where everyone can purchase my art and branded products. I invite you to go visit three of my online stores: tanyaowens.shop ...

Is WIX the Best Website Builder and Host for Photographers? Unbiased Review

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Finding the perfect hosting company for your website for photographers is a pain point. If you are an art based photographer, like I am, choices are slim. I could pigeon hole my needs into one of the many turnkey portfolio/client based solutions like Smug Mug or Zenfolio, or go the route other fine art photographers have gone, by building my website from scratch. Building a website from scratch  gives me greater flexibility to build the website and ecommerce solution that best meets my needs as a Fine Art Nature Photographer. So that is the direction I chose to go in when I decided to use Wix to host my website.  Contrary to popular belief you can change the template if you host your website with Wix. Lemme explain: I have several websites; some are on main domains and others, like this blog are on a sub-domain.  Background November 2021, I decided not to renew my subscription with the company that hosted my main website since 2009, a 12 year relationship. My needs w...

Severed the Chain - Deactivated Twitter Account & Podcast Update

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There has been so much change upheavel and turmoil over at Twitter since musk has taken over. But turmoil has always been the name of the game as that platform has been just a bastion of hate & terror. Don't get me wrong, twitter games, live tweeting shows, black twitter, #caturday have all been fun. As well as being a part of a movement or live tweeting during disasters. So, as much as twitter is a pustule on society it also was a great place to hang out, connect with "a" community and be on the cusp of current events. My experience with the platform since I originally joined in 2011 has been rocky, like I've spent more time on rough seas than on peaceful shores. And it really became obvious when I realized how much I was clenching my jaw when I read twitter and how peaceful my other handles on twitter were, the onese where I barely tweeted and only followed certain brands. It was night and day. Besides the constant crazy from Elon Musk and watching the dumpster ...