June 10, 2026

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

Chasing Fantasies

“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense” (Pr. 12:11).

When I was a kid, I had two dream careers in mind. The first was the real goal, and the second was a fallback in case the first didn’t pan out.

The primary goal was to be the starting shortstop for the Chicago Cubs. I spent hours upon hours playing in the yard, dreaming about and practicing for this goal. At the age of 10, my confidence was high, and my Little League success convinced me it was possible!

But looking back, I peaked as a baseball player at 10! I played at various levels for another 25 years (and still play church softball, despite having had both knee and shoulder surgeries), but after the age of 10 it was probably clear to everyone but me that I was a decent small town player but nowhere close to a big leaguer. My first dream career was not going to happen.

Good thing I had a backup plan! My fallback dream was to be the play-by-play radio broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs! The soundtrack of summer for my childhood was Cubs radio as they played day games during my backyard games. Thom Brennaman gave way as the primary radio broadcaster to Pat Hughes when I was 14, a change I was initially distraught over. But Pat very quickly won me over, and I was sure I could be ready for him to give way to me one day!

As it turns out, Pat is now a Hall of Famer and still calling the games more than 30 years later! To be very honest, he feels like a personal friend to me even though I have never met him, because his voice has now been a familiar one for much of my life. He is a Cubs legend and I don’t even resent the fact he never relinquished his hold on my fallback career!

In the end, both of my childhood career goals were fantasies. That is not to say they were bad aspirations—to the contrary, I think it is beneficial to have dreams and goals as a child—but they were always quite unlikely to come to fruition. This reality may have been somewhat veiled for me, but it was not lost on the God of the universe, who has been abundantly faithful to give me “land” to work. His ways and His thoughts have always been higher than my ways and my thoughts (Is. 55:8-9), and I am grateful for His patient guidance as I have imperfectly endeavored to walk in them.

What are your dreams today? And to be clear, your dream is not automatically a fantasy. Far from it! Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This is far more than a promise that God will bring your dreams to reality. He certainly may do that, but this is more than that. This is a promise that the God of the universe will not be elusive as your desires are transformed to be in accordance with His and increasingly rooted in Him!

As your primary aspiration in life becomes one of delighting in the Lord, you will not need a fallback plan because you will find Him (Jer. 29:13-14)! You won’t be chasing a fantasy; you will be enthralled in the work that is bringing glory to your God! As if that weren’t enough, your God promises that through this work He will provide for you!

Don’t chase fantasies. Work the land God has given you!

U.S.

$69.5 Billion

After a lengthy and contentious debate, Congress has approved $69.5 billion to fund operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) through the end of the current presidential term. The bill was considered through a process known as budget reconciliation, which allows for simple majority approval in the U.S. Senate rather than requiring 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles.

Passage was initially delayed over two controversial items: 1) $1 billion in funding for the ongoing construction of the White House ballroom, and 2) a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal to establish a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” for payouts to those deemed unfairly prosecuted. In the end, the ballroom funding was stripped out of the bill, and the DOJ announced it is abandoning the anti-weaponization fund at the direction of the courts. With those two issues resolved for the immediate term, the U.S. Senate advanced the measure on a near party-line vote of 52-47, and the U.S. House followed suit by a vote of 214-212.

In order to be enacted, the president must now sign it into law.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The baseline provisions in this bill were already contentious (Republicans describe the funding as essential to secure the border, and Democrats assert that ICE and CBP use overly punitive tactics), but the ballroom and the anti-weaponization fund proved to be the tipping point between enactment and defeat.

The ballroom was initially planned to be completed with private dollars, which will presumably again be the goal for the White House. It remains to be seen whether the DOJ will return to its plans to establish the anti-weaponization fund.

It can be quite difficult to find your way through the competing narratives and to the heart of these issues. There are, however, some core biblical tenants to fix your eyes on as you work to do so.

On the immigration law enforcement issue, you are to pray for and respect those responsible for governing and law enforcement (1 Tim. 2:1-2: Rom. 13). You are also to show kindness to both the citizen and the foreigner in your land (Deut. 10:18-19). It is tempting to conflate the role of those governing and your role as a Jesus follower. The two do not fit neatly into either party’s political narrative.

On the issues of funding the ballroom and the anti-weaponization fund, public sentiment will tend to follow partisan lines, as well. As a Jesus follower, you should consider each on the merits rather than on which view either party is defending (Pr. 18:17).

U.S.

War Powers

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed by a vote of 215-208 a resolution instructing U.S. President Donald Trump to end the U.S. military operation in Iran. Four Republicans joined with Democrats to pass the measure, which would now need to pass the U.S. Senate to be considered by the president. The Senate is not expected to approve the measure, and the vote in the House is not sufficient to withstand a presidential veto.

Analysis and eternal perspective: While last week’s resolution is very unlikely to be enacted, the House vote does indicate a growing impatience with the prolonged military action in Iran. Much of the angst stems from the duration of the conflict, given there has been no formal declaration of war.

Article I, Section 8 declares, “The Congress shall have Power . . . To declare War.” This is one of the more absolute grants of power to a branch of the federal government, and yet it has long been subject to intense debate and disagreement in application. While few dispute Congress’s authority to declare war, numerous presidents of both parties have asserted broad authority (often derived from congressional authorizations for use of military force) as Commander-in-Chief to direct extended military operations without a war declaration.

This has become a common tension between the Article I branch (Legislative) and the Article II branch (Executive). However, as a military engagement gets lengthier, the general view is that a president’s authority to act without Congress gets weaker. This week’s vote is a sign that a weakening of the authority is indeed occurring, though it appears the Congress is not particularly close to the consensus level required to enact such a measure.

As a Jesus follower, you should pray for and seek peace (Ps. 34:14). This is more than simply a cessation of war, however. You and I should also be fervently committed to relief for the oppressed (Is. 1:17), including for those living in Iran and those routinely targeted by Iran’s terroristic behavior.

This is a difficult balance to strike, and once again highlights a divergence of duties. The governing duty is one of devotion to the law that articulates the limits of power. Your duty is to those who are oppressed, and as an accountability force for those in power.

Sports

Comeback

Serena Williams, considered by many to be the greatest female tennis player of all-time, has returned to professional competition at the age of 44 and after four years away from the sport. Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles championships but made her return playing doubles at the HSBC Championships. She played alongside Victoria Mboko, who at 19 years old is 25 years younger than Williams. The duo won their match 7-6, 6-2 to advance to the second round.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Even the greatest have a limited time to compete at the highest level (I say this while currently hobbled as a result of trying to compete athletically at a much, much lower level). Williams' return at the age of 44 is a testament to her tenacity and ability, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.

You too have limited time to run your earthly race. While your life’s course might not include the bright lights of a tennis Grand Slam, it carries far greater consequence. Hebrews 12:1 eloquently encourages you and me to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Fortunately, our race doesn’t require peak athletic ability. It does, however, require vigilance and being attuned to the tactics of your soul’s enemy (1 Pet. 5:8)! That enemy would like nothing more than to keep you on the sideline and out of the game! Let’s together allow this story of athletic excellence to encourage us to be doggedly determined to run our life’s race to the glory of God!

The Beautiful

Life From Death

When you bloom and produce life and flourishing where God has rooted you, it transforms dead places into living ones (Jn. 5:24)! Don’t confuse the decay around you with defeat. It just might be God’s chosen setting for your flourishing!

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (Jn. 5:24).