Trump says he wants the U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip Trump said he and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu talked Tuesday about relocating Palestinians and leveling Gaza, which he suggested could be the "Riviera of the Middle East" under U.S. ownership.

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We CANNOT bulldoze people’s homes to create a vacation destination.
www.npr.org/2025/02/04/n...

“Mike Flynn, known foreign asset” is the real news here. Dude was collaborating with Russia before Trump’s first term.

I’m a pacifist and I’d donate to this.

That this administration is intentionally casting aside the needs of those who God explicitly calls us to support is VERY telling.

Meanwhile, people like General Flynn (who was paid $575 an hour by a nonprofit shell corporation) and Elon Musk (who actively avoids paying taxes that support other Americans) are being enriched by this administration and its policies.

This money is not enriching the few. It is benefitting orphans and widows, the sick and the houseless, priorities aligned with the heart of Jesus.

It will also will further erode our country’s global relationships.

I have colleagues and friends in these organizations. They welcome accountability as they carry out the vital work of caring for the people of the United States on behalf of the U.S. government.

Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service (also known as Global Refuge) helps to settle refugees from war & famine, as well as supports new Americans navigating the citizenship process.

Withholding this funding will hurt Americans at home, as well as refugees at home and abroad.

Let’s set the record straight.

Lutheran Social Services offices receive money from the federal government specifically to carry out federal programs that feed hungry people, provide housing to those that need it, ensure access to healthcare, provide foster care & adoption services.

I’m not sure yet what aspects of my personality will appear on BlueSky, but odds are trending towards TOTALLY UNFILTERED.

It’s not as fun as it sounds.

Usually it’s a combination of puns, poop jokes, and existential despair interrupted by a few lucid moments of faith and hope.

God sees you, affirms you, and loves you, even if your government does not. As for me and my house, we’ll do the same, too.

If you are, well, you, then you are very good.

Why? Because God says so. The diversity of creation together, in all its hues of difference? God calls that very good in Genesis 1:31, and you are a part of that creation.

If you are disabled, you are very good.
If you need public assistance or public healthcare to survive, you are very good.
If you’re a person of color, you are very good.
If you don’t speak English or it’s not your first language, you are very good.
If you are queer, you are very good.

No executive order can take away what God says at the culmination of creation: “it is very good.” The same is true of laws passed by congress and other government actions.

If you are an immigrant, you are very good.
If you are trans or nonbinary, you are very good.

I cannot guarantee any balance. Nor is the list exhaustive. I’m guessing we’ll find the contractions depressingly hilarious as we follow one another, so let’s dive in to online community together.

#introduction #new #author #bluesky #community #environment #mentalhealth #religion #faith #lutheran

Hi! I’m Drew. Let me introduce myself. All the below are true. I am a(n):

- nonprofit executive.
- chubby guy.
- author.
- laugher.
- Lutheran (and a pastor, too).
- bourbon boy.
- nature enthusiast.
- amateur cook.
- higher education consultant.
- environmentalist.
- mental health advocate.