day no. 17,424: majoring on minors

"There is nothing stranger today than the importance of unimportant things. Except, of course, the unimportance of important things." — G.K. Chesterton, Collected Works

Modernity majors on the minors. That fact is strange enough, but the fact that majors are now electives, is even stranger.

It is odd enough that there exists a trope that many churches split over something as insignificant as carpet color, but it is even odder that there exists a tendency for churches to rally around an indifference to sound doctrine. It is strange that someone would consider joining a church based on the ability of the drummer, but it is stranger that someone would plant a church for the purpose of ignoring the teachings of the Bible.

And yet, here we are. The phenomenon is one we are familiar with. An uninvolved person attempts to make up for his or her lack of involvement by being overly invested in some seemingly random detail of their neglected duty. So, a parent who is never around is always ready to throw down over what sports team the child cheers for or the wife who is otherwise indifferent to her husband has a vested interest in what he eats for lunch. We pick something to do and then we do it with all of our might in order to distract from the fact that we do nothing about everything else. And that, in a nutshell, describes the spiritual condition of many parishioners and unfortunately many pastors.

The same is true in politics, but unfortunately the pun takes on new meaning when considering their majoring on minors. In their case, they are not interested in small things to cover up their lack of interest in large matters, they are interested in little people and use their interest in big government to pursue them.

day no. 17,423: are we making any progress?

“[Progress] is a sort of atheistic optimism, based on an everlasting coincidence far more miraculous than a miracle.” — G.K. Chesterton, What I Saw in America

"Progress" implies an eschatology and an origin story. Without a starting point, what one might call a zero, you cannot measure how far you've come and without an end goal, what one might call a utopia, you cannot measure how far you have to go.

The Christian faith has an origin story and an eschatology. We know where we come from and where it's all going. As such, we can measure how far off the mark we have gotten by comparing it to Eden and we can see how well we are doing by comparing the kingdom on earth to the one that is in Heaven.

Secularism is dominated by a presupposed optimism that nature does not make mistakes. Christendom is dominated by a a presupposed optimism that God does not make mistakes.

Romans 1:20-25

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

It is only natural that a natural man would turn to nature if he turns away from the supernatural. If he abolishes the category of god, he establishes idolatry.

"Take away the supernatural, and what remains is the unnatural." — G.K. Chesterton 

Everything is going somewhere and sooner or later, it's going to get there. Evil is progressing to its end, which is destruction and good is progressing to its end, which is eternal life.

day no. 17,422: a violent interpretation

"Good men must know violence, so evil men do not become fluent in it." — Miyamoto Musashi

Good men must not be violent all of the time, but they must be violent some of the time or else bad men will be violent all of the time. If good men are never violent, they are not good. If they are incapable of violence, they are not men. Good men are violent when necessary and never when not.

Ephesians 4:26

Be ye angry, and sin not.

Good men agree and seek to submit to this, their marching orders from God. In their anger, they do not sin. In their violence, they do not steal vengeance from the Lord, but become His hand of justice as they are submitted to His will. Good men are the deacons of God's wrath. 

Proverbs 19:25

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; 

reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

A good man must know how to speak violence, but he must not be fluent in it. It cannot be his native tongue, but he must know how to translate his native tongue into violence so that the wicked may understand and the simple may gain wisdom.

day no. 17,421: all fuss and no fun

"This merry-making is subordinate to the marriage; because it is in honour of the marriage. People came there to be married and not to be merry; and they are merry because they did." — G.K. Chesterton, G.K.'s Weekly (1925)

Those who forget why they are gathered fall into frivolity, but those who remember the reason for the gathering get caught up in the festivities that follow. The fun is the result of the formation. The party bows to the privilege and the dancing takes a back seat to the doctrine. But it always follows. The doctrine demands it. The privilege provides it. The fun follows the formalities. But only if the formalities are acknowledge on the front end as the true meaning of what is being done.

Snobs who forget the formalities in principle throw large celebrations, but have no fun for they have forgotten what they are celebrating. They have large societal weddings with all the who-who's attending, but they have nothing to celebrate. It is all fuss and no fun. It is pomp and circumstance and no faith or substance. They participate in grand renditions of long held traditions for the sake of nostalgia, not as an apologia. 

"Modernity is largely the story of human beings attempting to find significance apart from God." — Ryan Whitaker Smith, Winter Fire

The modern world is all wedding reception and no ceremony. They have the ceremony to get to the reception as opposed to the Christian who has a reception because of the ceremony. That is the difference in its highest contrast.

day no. 17,420: a fighting chance

"The 7th century Christians of Asia and Africa...had trained themselves not to fight, whereas the Moslems were trained to fight.” — Teddy Roosevelt, Fear God and Take Your Part

Pacifism is a dead Quaker. It is the war on war. If you are not prepared for battle, you are being prepared for the menu.

Those who fight the good fight discover that God is still a God of battles. Everyone stands up a little straighter in the armor of God.

“From the hammer of Charles Martel to the sword of Sobieski, Christianity owed its safety in Europe to the fact it...would fight as well as the Mohammedan aggressor.” — Teddy Roosevelt, Fear God and Take Your Part

Enmity is hardwired into the system by God. Those who do not fight the seed of the serpent will lose. He will not stop fighting even if you do. Jihad will not go quietly into that good night, it will only go out with, quite literally, a bang. So, fight for your brothers, your sisters, your wives, your children, your country, your people, your life, and your God and see the deliverance of the Lord.

day no. 17,419: all grateful with nowhere to go

"Rossetti makes the remark somewhere, bitterly but with great truth, that the worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank." — G.K. Chesterton, St. Francis of Assisi

Joy is harder for an atheist to account for than despair. Heart ache makes sense if the world is heartless, but thankfulness does not make sense if the world is not full. Joy is the undoing of unbelief. When gratitude wells up within, it seeks an outlet. It wants to pour out in the form of a "Thank you," but if the man does not believe in a You above to thank, he is left with a heart that wishes there was.

day no. 17,418: alphabetical areas of interest July 2026

"There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people."

— G.K. Chesterton

Interested people are interesting people.

Be interested... stay interesting.

AC (was not working as well, able to fix by simply cleaning filter, praise God!)

Baseball (kids all got gloves and are learning how to throw/catch)

Bob Reese (YouTuber who does backflips and funny vids w/ his kid)

Boylei Hobby Time (still enjoying his imaginary builds on YouTube)

Chickens (we have baby chicks, again)

Convictions (Christian metal we recently discovered)

Cottage cheese (been eating this for snack for more protein)

Creatine (began supplementing for muscle growth)

Crimson Armada (Revelations II is soooo good!)

Die Hards (watching through on 3rd Fridays)

Dishwasher (on the fritz and handwashing again with Atticus after dinner)

Dragonball Z movies (watched Superhero and Broly movie for first time)

Dragonball Z show (kids watching through and have Super ready to go after)

Driving (Paige has been driving to milk again)

Elder (still a candidate at CCL)

Europeans Discovering America (fun trend online for FIFA World Cup 2026)

Evanescence (new album, new single/video for "Who Do You Follow?" is really good)

Fall Out Boy (been enjoying their its during dishes)

Fifth Friday (introduced where Paige gets to pick movie on 5th Fridays)

Garage (been spending nice afternoons out there smoking cigars)

Headaches (have good runs with none and bad runs with them daily)

High Church Protestantism (enjoying the reformed catholic life)

Huguenots (genealogy info from mom, may go back to them)

Imagine Dragons (also been listening to their hits during dishes)

Instagram (growth on main channel has slowed, backup hit 10k)

Insurance Score SME (asked to join at Shelter)  

Jazz (date night spot at Legends)

July (should be an interesting 250th anniversary for the USA)

June (happy to see another muted year of "pride" month)

Key & Peele (watch skits before 3rd Friday movies)

Liver shots (began taking these after fasting)

Make Your Own Sandwich (rediscovered and added to Sabbath dinner rotation)

Memorization (monthly Bible verse challenge for kids)

Night time drink (stopped doing coffee/creamer, started vit C, magnesium, creatine combo)

Oatmeal (Paige bought me more to enjoy before dinner / after work)

Page One (once a month at CCL)

Party Speaker (great Father's Day gift)

Preaching (once a month at CCL)

Quick minutes (began doing with Paige in the morning)

Quince (Paige got some more clothes and perfume from them)

Reconquista (first cigar from Ave Maria box I smoked)

Reading (began reading more hard copy books agains during work day breaks)

Red Pill Reformation, Joshua Haymes (YouTube shorts)

Ruck (began rucking on Saturday at 6a with Atticus, Finneas, and Rocco)

Sermons (once/month at $500 per and trying to work ahead)

Session (began hosting monthly session meeting at our place)

Shaboozey (Good News and Amen have become fun dish time faves)

Side yard (attempted landscaping to redirect water)

Sila Thai (great new Thai place in LV we often go to for date night)

Tatiana (discovered these fun, flavored cigars)

Ten Thirty (introduced 10:30 dates with Paige when possible)

Traveller (story club book)

USA (250th birthday)

Van (still chugging along)

Verses (memorization challenge for kids completed with treats)

Weezer (new album/songs, fun to play their classics for summer months)

Wingfeather (working our way through this series again for Story Club)

Workout (began working out w/ Paige in AM after quick minutes)

Xtra Protein (been buying cottage cheese and yogurt for snack before dinner)

Yogurt (plain Greek for snack to increase protein, less chips)

Young Washington (going to see in the theaters on 4th of July)

Zzz (changed daily wake up time to 7:05a for more time to read Bible before working out)