The mob's roar outside Parliament was a living thing, throbbing against the stained-glass windows like a malarial fever. He adjusted his cravat with fingers still sticky from sealing those damning letters with wax—black, of course. “You've a talent for making enemies, my lord,” sneered the Chancellor, his rheumy eyes tracking the dagger-shadows on the wall. A half-smile. “Only way to know you're moving forward.” The pistol in his desk drawer weighed heavy with its single silver bullet. The first rock shattered a window. “Ah,” he murmured, watching the bloodied cobblestones below, “right on schedule.” History, after all, was just violence with better lighting.

#Scratch

The Architecture of Grief

I didn’t realize the moment I broke

was the same moment God began to rebuild me.

I thought I was being undone, losing strength, coming apart—

but something deeper was being uncovered,

a truer self I had kept quiet for most of my life.

For years I moved through the world small,

careful not to draw attention,

content to stay unseen.

But grief has a way of stripping off what you outgrew

while you weren’t paying attention.

And when my brother died,

something in me cracked in a way that didn’t collapse—

it opened.

It opened a place beneath the pain,

a place where peace rose up like it already knew the way.

Where strength I hadn’t earned began to steady me from the inside.

Where the still, small voice wasn’t small at all—

it was unmistakable.

And in the days that followed,

I found myself standing in rooms where I should have fallen apart.

Yet I was held.

And the room breathed with me.

And grief, instead of drowning me,

began lifting me—

wave after wave.

And then something shifted.

Because becoming was never meant to stay inside of me.

What God rebuilt in the quiet

was always meant to be released into the world.

There comes a moment when grief stops being only something you carry

and becomes something that carries you—

forward, outward, into the lives of others.

A moment when the breaking in you

becomes a doorway for someone else’s healing.

A moment when the voice you kept small for decades

finally rises with the weight of truth behind it—

not to take up space,

but to make space.

And in that turning point, something within me aligned—

a steadying, a knowing—

as if the path that God had been forming in silence

finally came into focus.

This isn’t expression.

It’s assignment.

It’s release.

Grief didn’t move me aside—

it moved me forward.

The calling didn’t free me from the breaking—

it used the breaking to reveal the path.

What God awakened in me

was never meant to end in me.

It was meant to move.

---

Isaiah 58:12 (KJV)

“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places:

thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations;

and thou shalt be called,

The repairer of the breach,

The restorer of paths to dwell in.”

---

Dedication

For Aaron —

whose life was a beacon of light, whose love brought warmth to all who knew him,

and whose leaving tore the ground open beneath me.

Your memory is the doorway through which this calling began to rise,

and the place where God began to rebuild me.

---

La Arquitectura del Duelo

No me di cuenta de que el momento en que me quebré fue el mismo momento en que Dios comenzó a reconstruirme. Pensé que me estaba desmoronando, perdiendo fuerza, deshaciéndome— pero algo más profundo estaba siendo revelado, un yo más verdadero que había mantenido en silencio la mayor parte de mi vida.

Durante años caminé por el mundo siendo pequeño, con cuidado de no llamar la atención, contento de permanecer invisible. Pero el duelo tiene una manera de arrancar lo que ya habías superado mientras no estabas prestando atención.

Y cuando mi hermano murió, algo en mí se quebró de una manera que no colapsó— sino que se abrió.

Se abrió un lugar por debajo del dolor, un lugar donde la paz se levantó como si ya conociera el camino. Donde una fuerza que no había ganado empezó a sostenerme desde dentro. Donde la voz suave y apacible no era suave en absoluto— era inconfundible.

Y en los días que siguieron, me encontré de pie en habitaciones donde debería haberme derrumbado. Sin embargo, fui sostenido. Y el aire respiró conmigo. Y el duelo, en vez de ahogarme, comenzó a elevarme— ola tras ola.

Y entonces algo cambió.

Porque el llegar a ser nunca estuvo destinado a quedarse dentro de mí. Lo que Dios reconstruyó en la quietud siempre estuvo destinado a ser liberado al mundo.

Llega un momento en que el duelo deja de ser solo algo que cargas y se convierte en algo que te carga a ti— hacia adelante, hacia afuera, hacia la vida de otros.

Un momento en que la ruptura dentro de ti se convierte en una puerta hacia la sanidad de alguien más.

Un momento en que la voz que mantuviste pequeña durante décadas finalmente se eleva con el peso de la verdad detrás de ella— no para ocupar espacio, sino para abrirlo.

Y en ese punto de giro, algo dentro de mí se alineó— un aquietamiento, un saber— como si el camino que había estado formándose en silencio finalmente cobrara enfoque.

Esto no es expresión. Es asignación. Es envío.

El duelo no me apartó— me movió hacia adelante. El llamado no me liberó del quebranto— usó el quebranto para revelar el camino.

Lo que Dios despertó en mí nunca estuvo destinado a terminar en mí.

Estaba destinado a moverse.

---

Isaías 58:12 (RVR1960)

“Y los tuyos edificarán las ruinas antiguas; los cimientos de generación y generación levantarás; y serás llamado Reparador de portillos, Restaurador de sendas para habitar.”

---

Dedicatoria

Para Aaron — cuya vida fue un faro de luz, cuyo amor trajo calor a todos los que lo conocieron, y cuya partida desgarró la tierra bajo mis pies. Tu memoria es la puerta por la cual este llamado comenzó a levantarse, y el lugar donde Dios comenzó a reconstruirme.

Listening now to an NCAA women's basketball game, Arkansas Razorbacks at SMU Mustangs broadcast live over Tunein. I'm counting on this game to help me relax and unwind from a rather stressful afternoon trying in vain to access my social security account online.

And the adventure continues.

Introduction

In my previous post “Was Flight MH370 Teleported?”, I broke down two viral videos that appear to show MH370 being surrounded by glowing orbs before vanishing in a flash of light. Whether you believe those videos are real or fake, one thing is clear: they sparked renewed interest in alternative theories about what happened to Flight 370.

But here is the thing. If those videos are real, there should be physical evidence. An event violent enough to make a Boeing 777 disappear would generate acoustic signatures detectable by underwater sensors thousands of kilometers away.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) operates a network of highly sensitive underwater hydrophones throughout the world's oceans. These hydrophones are designed to detect nuclear explosions, but they can also pick up aircraft impacts, underwater explosions, and other violent events.

So what did those hydrophones record on March 8, 2014?

The answer is complicated. They recorded something. But more importantly, they recorded nothing during a critical 25-minute window at the station closest to Diego Garcia.

The Players: CTBTO Hydrophone Stations

The CTBTO operates hydroacoustic monitoring stations throughout the Indian Ocean. Three are particularly relevant to MH370:

Station	Location	Code
HA01	Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia	H01W
HA08	Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory	H08S/H08N
HA04	Crozet Islands, France	H04S

Each station consists of three hydrophones arranged in a triangular configuration, allowing researchers to determine both the bearing and approximate distance of acoustic events.

Diego Garcia is the location of HA08. It is also a remote coral atoll hosting a major U.S. military installation, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, which is shrouded in secrecy. The island has a 12,000-foot runway capable of handling any aircraft in the world.

Remember from Part 1: the coordinates embedded in the “satellite” video are approximately -8.834301, 93.19492, which places the supposed event south of the Nicobar Islands. Diego Garcia sits at approximately 7.3°S, 72.4°E. The distance between these two points is roughly 2,300 km.

Anomaly #1: The 25-Minute Data Gap

What Happened

At 03:07 UTC on March 8, 2014, all three hydrophones at the Diego Garcia station (HA08s) simultaneously stopped recording. They remained offline for exactly 25 minutes.

This is documented in a peer-reviewed paper by Dr. Usama Kadri of Cardiff University, published in Scientific Reports (Nature):

“A fifth signal appears at 3:07... This signal probably indicates restarting the system after it was shutdown for 25 minutes, i.e. there is missing data in these specific CTBTO recordings.”

Kadri, U. (2019). Effect of sea-bottom elasticity on the propagation of acoustic-gravity waves from impacting objects. Scientific Reports, 9, 912.

Why This Matters

Dr. Kadri explicitly addresses the suspicious nature of this gap:

“Due to the sensitivity of the recorded data, it is unlikely that the three hydrophones on HA08s had a simultaneous technical failure and the reason behind the shut down is to-date unknown.”

He then offers a possible explanation:

“A violent nearby activity (including impact, explosion) could have resulted in a shutdown of the system.”

Let that sink in. A scientist publishing in one of the world's most prestigious journals is stating on the record that:

1. A simultaneous failure of all three hydrophones is “unlikely”
2. The shutdown remains “unexplained” by the CTBTO
3. A violent nearby event, such as an aircraft impact or explosion, could cause such a shutdown

The Timeline and the Videos

The official narrative places MH370's crash at approximately 00:19 UTC on March 8, 2014, based on the final satellite “handshake.” But the Diego Garcia data gap occurs nearly 3 hours later.

Here is where it gets interesting. If you plot MH370's trajectory based on the coordinates in the video (-8.834301, 93.19492), the plane would have been in that area sometime between 00:30 and 01:30 UTC. The acoustic signal from such an event, depending on propagation path, would take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to reach Diego Garcia.

Time (UTC)	Event
18:22, March 7	Last radar contact with MH370
00:19, March 8	Final satellite handshake (official crash time)
~00:30-01:30, March 8	Estimated time at video coordinates (if direct flight from last radar)
01:58, March 8	Signal HA_32 detected at Diego Garcia (military bearing)
03:07, March 8	All three Diego Garcia hydrophones go offline
03:32, March 8	System comes back online
03:47-03:55, March 8	Three signals detected at nearly identical bearings (~170°)

If an acoustic event occurred at the video coordinates around 01:00-01:30 UTC, the signal would reach Diego Garcia somewhere between 02:30 and 03:30 UTC, depending on transmission path through the water and sea-bottom.

The data gap starts at 03:07 UTC. Right in the middle of that window.

Coincidence?

Anomaly #2: Diego Garcia Data “Dismissed” as Too Noisy

The Convenient Excuse

When the U.S. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) analyzed CTBTO hydrophone data for MH370, they focused almost exclusively on the Cape Leeuwin (HA01) station. The Diego Garcia data? Dismissed.

From the official LANL report:

“Analysis of the data from these stations shows... large amplitude repeating signals at H08 that obscure any possible arrivals.”

Stead, R.J. (2014). Seismic and hydroacoustic analysis relevant to MH370. Los Alamos National Laboratory, LA-UR-14-24972.

The “noise” was attributed to seismic survey ships operating in the region. This explanation has been accepted uncritically by most researchers.

Dr. Alec Duncan's Assessment

Dr. Alec Duncan of Curtin University, who led the Australian acoustic analysis effort, also found the Diego Garcia data “unusable”:

“Duncan also analysed data from the other [station], off Diego Garcia island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but found nothing. The data were too polluted by noises from seismic surveys, he says.”

Butler, D. (2014). Sound clue in hunt for MH370. Nature, 510, 199-200.

The Signal That Pointed Northwest

Here is what makes this dismissal suspicious. Duncan did find a promising signal at Cape Leeuwin, one that pointed to a location northwest of the official search area:

“The sound is believed to have originated somewhere along a strip running to the northwest of the Indian Ocean. That is out of the range of the current search.”

Curtin University's refined location estimate (September 2014) placed the signal origin at 2.11°N, 69.31°E, west of the Maldives, much closer to Diego Garcia than to the 7th arc search area.

This location is roughly 1,100 km from Diego Garcia. And it is within the general region suggested by the video coordinates.

This finding was dismissed as “inconsistent with other data about aircraft position,” meaning the satellite handshake data that forms the entire basis for the southern search.

Anomaly #3: Military Activity Detected During the Critical Window

What the Hydrophones Recorded

Kadri's 2019 paper documents military activity detected by the Diego Garcia hydrophones during the critical timeframe:

“Analyses of signals recorded at station HA08s... were more challenging, partially due to disturbances in the recordings that are believed to have been caused by military action in the region.”

The military signals were detected at two specific bearings:

• 219.2° from HA08s (southwest toward Mauritius/Madagascar)
• 309.7° from HA08s (northwest toward Maldives/India)

These signals were recorded “intermittently” between 23:00 UTC on March 7 and 04:00 UTC on March 8, precisely the window when MH370 would have been in the area.

The Signals from Table 3

Signal	Time (UTC)	Bearing	Distance	Location	Notes
HA_30	11:57 (Mar 7)	247.4°	585±276 km	9°34'S, 67°36'E	Closest to Diego Garcia
HA_31	12:11 (Mar 7)	170.9°	2,300±250 km	28°08'S, 76°20'E
HA_32	01:58 (Mar 8)	241.3°	2,860±900 km	19°05'S, 48°32'E	Within military bearings
HA_34a	03:47 (Mar 8)	170.9°	—	—	Immediately after restart
HA_34b	03:50 (Mar 8)	173.0°	—	—	Immediately after restart
HA_34c	03:55 (Mar 8)	170.9°	—	—	Immediately after restart

Notice the sequence immediately after the system came back online: three signals at nearly identical bearings (~170°) detected within 8 minutes. What did the hydrophones capture the moment they resumed recording?

Kadri notes:

“Note that bearings of signals HA30 and HA32 fall within the military action bearings, so it is also possible that the signals are associated with the military action.”

Connecting to the Videos

In Part 1, I discussed how the videos appear to show military surveillance footage, specifically what looks like Gorgon Stare imagery from an MQ-9 Reaper drone. The second “drone” video shows the same event from a different angle.

If the U.S. military was operating surveillance drones in that area, and if something happened to MH370 that they witnessed (or caused), the “military action” detected by the hydrophones could be related.

Anomaly #4: Cocos Keeling Infrasound Data Never Released

The Silent Witnesses

Cocos Keeling Island sits in the Indian Ocean between the Maldives and Australia. It hosts an array of eight infrasound recorders that were continuously collecting data during MH370's disappearance.

This data has never been made public.

From 370Location.org:

“There is an array of eight infrasound recorders at Cocos Keeling West Island that was continuously collecting data during the flight of MH370. That data has been unavailable to the public.”

Why This Matters for the Videos

Remember: if MH370 flew toward Diego Garcia (as some theories suggest), it would have passed directly over or near Cocos Keeling Island. Infrasound recorders would have detected the aircraft's engine noise.

Even more intriguing, according to 370Location.org:

“Seismometer data shows a unique signal at the expected MH370 flyby time with Doppler shift indications.”

A Doppler shift indicates a moving source, exactly what you would expect from an aircraft flying past at high speed.

If the infrasound data showed MH370 heading northwest toward Diego Garcia rather than south toward the 7th arc, that would directly contradict the official narrative.

The Pattern of Suppression

When you step back and look at the acoustic evidence holistically, a troubling pattern emerges:

Data Source	Status	Official Explanation
Diego Garcia (HA08) hydrophones	Dismissed	"Too noisy from seismic surveys"
25-minute data gap	Unexplained	None provided by CTBTO
Cocos Keeling infrasound	Classified	"No evidence found" (methodology flawed)
Crozet Islands (HA04)	Never Analyzed	Not addressed
Military activity signals	Unexamined	Attributed to exercises
Curtin University signal	Dismissed	"Inconsistent with satellite data"

Every piece of evidence that could point toward Diego Garcia has been either dismissed, classified, or left unexplained.

The “Javanomaly”: A Strong Unexplained Signal

Independent researchers have identified additional signals that warrant investigation. One of the most compelling is what 370Location.org calls the “Javanomaly”:

“A very strong MH370 candidate signal was reported here a year ago, arriving at the Diego Garcia H08 hydrophone array from the direction of Java. The T-wave arrival is far stronger than a later M4.4 quake near Java and four times stronger on local seismometers than a nearby M4.1 quake.”

What makes this signal suspicious:

“Despite the stronger signals, this event was not included in earthquake catalogs like the others. Analysis of nearby seismometers places the origin as 8.36S 107.92E directly on the 7th Arc at 1:15:18 UTC, almost an hour after the expected impact time.”

Source: 370Location.org: A Strong Anomalous Acoustic Event on the Seventh Arc near Java

Tying It Together: What the Hydrophone Data Means for the Videos

If the videos fromPart 1 are real, they show MH370 being surrounded by orbs and disappearing in a flash of light. Such an event would generate multiple types of acoustic signatures:

1. The initial event: Whatever energy was released when the orbs activated would create a pressure wave
2. Aircraft impact/displacement: The sudden movement or destruction of a 200-ton aircraft would generate acoustic signals
3. Possible implosion: If parts of the aircraft sank to depth, implosion of pressurized compartments would create additional signals

The timeline fits uncomfortably well:

Theoretical Event	Time (UTC)	Supporting Evidence
"Teleportation" event at video coordinates	~01:00-01:30	Video timestamp, flight path calculations
Signal HA_32 at Diego Garcia	01:58	Detected at military bearing
Acoustic waves reach Diego Garcia	~02:30-03:30	Based on propagation calculations
Diego Garcia hydrophones shut down	03:07	25-minute gap begins
System restarts	03:32
Three signals at ~170° bearing	03:47-03:55	Captured immediately after restart

The data gap occurs exactly when acoustic evidence of the event would be arriving at Diego Garcia.

What Would Prove or Disprove This Theory?

Several pieces of evidence could definitively address the connection between the videos and the hydrophone data:

1. The Missing 25 Minutes

The CTBTO should release whatever diagnostic data exists from the HA08s station between 03:07 and 03:32 UTC. If the system was truly “shutdown” by a violent event, there should be evidence of what caused it.

2. Cocos Keeling Infrasound Data

If MH370 flew toward the video coordinates (near the Nicobar Islands), infrasound would have detected it. Release the data.

3. Full Diego Garcia Recordings

Not just the data that was deemed “too noisy,” but all recordings from 23:00 March 7 to 04:00 March 8, with proper signal filtering applied.

4. HA04 Crozet Islands Cross-Reference

A third station could triangulate any signals and provide much more precise location data. This analysis has apparently never been done.

5. Raw Satellite Footage

If the U.S. military was operating Gorgon Stare surveillance in the area (as the videos suggest), they have the original, uncompressed footage. Release it.

Conclusion: The Sound of Silence

The hydroacoustic evidence surrounding MH370's disappearance is characterized not by what was detected, but by what was silenced.

In Part 1, I laid out the evidence for and against the authenticity of the videos showing MH370 surrounded by orbs. I noted the extraordinary technical details, the suspicious “debunks” that seemed planted, and the connections to Diego Garcia.

Now we have another piece of the puzzle: 25 minutes of missing data from the hydrophone station closest to Diego Garcia, occurring exactly when acoustic evidence of a violent event would be expected to arrive.

Dr. Kadri's peer-reviewed research explicitly states that the simultaneous shutdown of all three hydrophones is “unlikely” to be a technical failure. He suggests a “violent nearby activity (including impact, explosion)” could cause such a shutdown.

The question is not whether the evidence exists. The question is why it has been systematically dismissed, classified, or erased.

If those videos are real, if MH370 was intercepted by some form of advanced technology, the hydrophone data gap is exactly what you would expect. Not evidence of what happened, but evidence of a cover-up.

Ten years after MH370 vanished, 239 families still have no answers. Perhaps those answers lie not in the depths of the southern Indian Ocean, but in the 25 minutes of silence from a hydrophone station in the shadow of a secret military base.

---

Sources & Further Reading

Primary Scientific Sources

1. Kadri, U. (2019). Effect of sea-bottom elasticity on the propagation of acoustic-gravity waves from impacting objects. Scientific Reports, 9, 912.

   • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37626-z
   • Direct link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37626-z

2. Kadri, U. (2024). Underwater acoustic analysis reveals unique pressure signals associated with aircraft crashes in the sea: revisiting MH370. Scientific Reports, 14, 10102.

   • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60529-1
   • Direct link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60529-1

3. Stead, R.J. (2014). Seismic and hydroacoustic analysis relevant to MH370. Los Alamos National Laboratory, LA-UR-14-24972.

   • OSTI: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1136454

4. Stead, R.J. (2014). How Common are Noise Sources on the Crash Arc. Los Alamos National Laboratory, LA-UR-14-28179.

   • OSTI: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1160107

5. Butler, D. (2014). Sound clue in hunt for MH370. Nature, 510, 199-200.

   • Direct link: https://www.nature.com/articles/510199a

Independent Research

1. 370Location.org – Flight MH370 Acoustic Location
   • Main site: https://370location.org/
   • Javanomaly analysis: https://370location.org/2018/02/a-strong-anomalous-acoustic-event-on-the-seventh-arc-near-java/

---

Read Part 1: Was Flight MH370 Teleported?

---

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Carlos Díaz: The UFO with the Glowing Molten Skin

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Follow me on X for more updates.

Our Father Who art in heaven Hallowed be Thy name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil

Amen

Jesus is Lord! Come Lord Jesus!

Come Lord Jesus! Christ is Lord!

Europe East

In the fireside nights of us between Paid by our past as a winning matter Shawls in the wind at our better force Of full redemption in peaceful strength Of thoughts to our year and what it stood for We were high on simple things- like our good neighbour In this fortune of simple dreams another year Masts of ever-beating principal To our patches and newest day Asail on gifts of time to blackened water In Trinity we do rise under And so into as Christ’s became Following our inner patterns Of strength in love, and nights in view Ever peaceful without remorse That we love our hist’ry past Winning fields of summer friendship Through the tears of beloved gone But in this trial of thirst and wonder -it is seldom to our day It is common command our neighbours are our friends, And Europe light for us and keeping time

🏰

There are moments in life when God leads you straight into something you never would have chosen for yourself. Not because He wants to break you… but because He wants to reveal what He already built inside you. That is the entire heartbeat of Matthew 4. It is the moment where Jesus steps out of the quiet waters of baptism and into the blistering winds of the wilderness. And the contrast is so sharp it almost feels unfair. One moment the heavens open. One moment the Father speaks identity, approval, delight, worth, and calling over His Son. And the very next moment the Spirit leads Jesus directly into a place where none of that affirmation can be felt—only remembered.

If you have lived long enough, you know exactly what that feels like.

One day you are confident. Steady. Clear. You feel God’s nearness, His love, His direction. And then suddenly you are thrust into a season that makes no sense. Circumstances shift. Pressure builds. Your own thoughts turn against you. And the voices that were once quiet start shouting: “Did God really say that? Are you sure you’re chosen? Are you sure you’re loved? Are you sure you’re not alone? Are you sure you matter?”

Matthew 4 is not just about Jesus resisting temptation. It is about Jesus showing us how sons and daughters of God walk through seasons that test everything they believe. This chapter is the blueprint for spiritual resilience, emotional strength, purpose under pressure, identity under fire, and clarity in moments when confusion tries to swallow you whole. And within this chapter there is a message so personal, so human, so piercingly beautiful that it touches every pain point we face today.

Let’s walk into the wilderness with Him—slowly, honestly, with open eyes—and see what He teaches us there.

The Wilderness Is Not Punishment. It Is Preparation.

One of the most misunderstood truths in the Christian journey is this: God doesn’t only lead you to green pastures. Sometimes He leads you into barren landscapes, not to harm you, but to strengthen what you carry. Jesus did not wander into the wilderness by accident. He was led there. Scripture says it clearly: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Notice the order. The Spirit led. The enemy tempted. If you don’t understand that sequence, you’ll misinterpret your entire season.

God’s leading is not always comfortable. It is always purposeful. And the enemy’s presence in your wilderness is not a sign that God abandoned you. It is a sign that God trusts you. The enemy does not waste bullets on the powerless. He attacks what threatens him. He opposes what has destiny written across it. He challenges what Heaven has marked.

Your wilderness does not diminish your anointing. It reveals it.

Before Jesus preaches a single sermon…

Before He heals a single disease…

Before He gathers His disciples…

Before His name spreads across the region…

He faces a season that strips Him of every earthly comfort and forces Him to stand on one thing and one thing only: the truth of who His Father said He is.

That is the heart of Matthew 4.

Your wilderness teaches you to hear God’s voice above every other voice. It teaches you to stand when the world shakes. It teaches you to say “It is written” when everything inside you screams that nothing is working. It teaches you to cling to truth when emotion is unstable. It teaches you to trust God when the path is unclear. And it teaches you something more: the wilderness is not where you lose yourself. It is where you meet the strongest version of yourself.

Identity Is the Enemy’s First Target

Notice the first attack: “If You are the Son of God…”

The enemy doesn’t begin with hunger.

He doesn’t begin with exhaustion.

He doesn’t begin with weakness.

He begins with identity.

Satan knows that once he shakes who you believe yourself to be, every temptation becomes easier. But if he cannot steal your identity, he cannot claim your destiny.

Every voice you hear today that says:

“You’re not enough.”

“You’re not worthy.”

“You’re too broken.”

“You’re too late.”

“You’re too flawed.”

“You’re too sinful.”

“You’re too unqualified.”

…comes from the same twisted strategy used against Jesus Himself. The enemy always goes after the foundation. Your identity is your stability. Without it, everything collapses.

But notice how Jesus responds. Not with emotion. Not with insecurity. Not with debate. Not with self-explanation. He simply answers with truth: “It is written…”

He does not let the enemy rewrite His identity.

He does not let hunger rewrite His identity.

He does not let circumstances rewrite His identity.

He does not let loneliness rewrite His identity.

He does not let pain rewrite His identity.

He anchors Himself in what the Father said—not in what the moment feels like.

This is one of the most powerful lessons in Scripture: Your identity is not felt. It is declared.

It is not earned. It is bestowed.

It is not fragile. It is God-given.

And no wilderness can take it from you.

Why Temptation Targets Our Weakest Moments

Jesus fasts forty days and forty nights. He is physically depleted. This is not symbolic hunger. This is real, body-shaking starvation. The enemy’s timing is intentional: he waits until Jesus is exhausted. Temptation doesn’t hit hardest when you’re strong. It hits hardest when you’re worn down.

You know this already. Temptation doesn’t show up on your best day. It shows up on your worst.

Temptation whispers loudest…

…when you’re lonely. …when you’re disappointed. …when you feel invisible. …when prayers feel unanswered. …when life feels unfair. …when doors don’t open. …when you feel unappreciated. …when you’re overwhelmed. …when you feel forgotten.

But here is the grace in Matthew 4: Jesus shows us that temptation is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of calling. You are not tempted because you are worthless; you are tempted because you are valuable.

Temptation is not about the moment. It is about the mission. The enemy saw Jesus’ future and tried to derail it before it began. He sees yours too.

The First Temptation: Turn These Stones Into Bread

This temptation is not about food. It is about using divine power for personal comfort instead of divine purpose. It is the temptation to compromise. The temptation to take shortcuts. The temptation to satisfy your hunger in ways that violate your calling.

The enemy always targets your hunger.

Hunger for affirmation. Hunger for belonging. Hunger for purpose. Hunger for success. Hunger for comfort. Hunger for companionship. Hunger for relief.

The enemy says, “Fix it yourself. Meet the need your way. Don’t wait on God. Don’t trust His timing. Don’t trust His goodness. Don’t trust His provision. Just turn your stones into bread.”

But Jesus refuses to use His power for a shortcut. He refuses to satisfy a real hunger with a counterfeit solution. He refuses to trade long-term purpose for short-term comfort.

You and I face the same choice every day. When you are hungry for change, the enemy will always offer a shortcut. But every shortcut leads you away from the person God is shaping you to become.

The Second Temptation: Throw Yourself Down

This temptation targets insecurity. It is the temptation to prove yourself. To perform for approval. To force God’s hand instead of trusting His heart.

The enemy quotes Scripture—yes, he knows the Bible too—and says, “If You are the Son of God, jump. Make God catch You. Display Your power. Show everyone who You are.”

But Jesus doesn’t perform for applause. He doesn’t manipulate God into rescuing Him. He refuses to live His life for spectators. He refuses to make His calling depend on validation.

This is the temptation many people fall into today: the need to be seen, liked, chosen, praised, applauded, understood, validated, accepted. But living for the crowd always kills the soul.

Jesus teaches us that a life of purpose is not built on proving yourself—it is built on trusting your Father.

The Third Temptation: Bow Down for the Kingdoms of the World

This is the temptation of power. The temptation of influence. The temptation of ambition detached from surrender. Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world without the cross. Authority without sacrifice. Glory without obedience. Destiny without process.

Every believer faces this same temptation in a different form:

“Take the opportunity even if it costs your integrity.” “Take the shortcut even if it compromises your values.” “Chase the throne even if you have to bow to something unholy to get it.”

Jesus refuses. He chooses worship over ambition. He chooses obedience over influence. He chooses the Father’s way over the easy way.

And then He says words that echo across every generation: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”

Those who worship God exclusively walk in authority permanently.

The Power of “Then the Devil Left Him”

Three temptations. Three attacks on identity, trust, and purpose. Three opportunities to compromise. Three moments where Jesus stands unshaken.

And then Scripture says: “Then the devil left Him.”

That is not just narrative. That is prophetic. Every believer reaches a moment where the enemy’s voice loses influence. Where temptation loses sting. Where identity becomes unshakeable. Where you are no longer fighting for who you are—you are living from it.

But notice what comes next: “And angels came and ministered to Him.”

Heaven fills the space the enemy vacates. God strengthens what the wilderness tried to drain. Divine help arrives when the trial ends. God never lets a warfare season finish without a restoration season following right behind it.

Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee

Only after the wilderness does Jesus step into public ministry. Only after testing does He step into calling. Only after resisting temptation does He step into authority.

You cannot skip wilderness seasons if you want to walk in God’s purpose. They are the training grounds of destiny. They refine motives. They purify intentions. They strengthen spiritual muscles. They differentiate your voice from all the others.

When Jesus walks out of the wilderness, He walks out with clarity, authority, and unstoppable momentum.

He preaches one simple, world-changing message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Repent does not mean “feel bad about yourself.” It means “shift direction.” It means “come into alignment.” It means “step into the kingdom reality that already surrounds you.”

Jesus is saying, “You don’t have to stay where you’ve been. A different life is now within reach.”

The Calling of the First Disciples

And then something beautiful happens. Jesus calls ordinary people into an extraordinary story. Fishermen. Working men. Not religious elites. Not scholars. Not the socially influential. Real people. People like you. People like me.

He walks along the shore and calls Simon Peter and Andrew with a simple, life-altering invitation: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Notice two things:

1. Jesus calls them before they understand Him.

2. He promises to make them into something they are not yet.

Their calling is not based on who they are—it is based on who He can shape them into.

And immediately, they drop their nets. Immediately, they step out of their old identity. Immediately, they step into a future that makes no sense on paper but makes perfect sense to Heaven.

Jesus then calls James and John in the same way. Ordinary young men working with their father. And they leave everything to follow the One who sees greatness in them before anyone else does.

God still calls people like that today. People who feel unseen. People who feel stuck. People who feel unqualified. People who feel ordinary.

If Jesus walked past your life today, He would not see your failures. He would not see your flaws. He would not see your limitations. He would see a disciple waiting to be awakened.

The Chapter Ends in Light, Movement, and Healing

Matthew 4 concludes with Jesus doing exactly what He came to do: teaching, proclaiming, healing, restoring, strengthening, and stirring hope in the darkest corners of human experience.

This is the same Jesus who faced the wilderness. The same Jesus who resisted temptation. The same Jesus who walked out of the desert with power. And now the power of that victory spills into the world around Him.

Everywhere He goes, broken things mend.

Everywhere He goes, suffering is lifted.

Everywhere He goes, people discover who they really are.

And maybe that is the deeper message of Matthew 4: Your wilderness victory is never just about you. When you come out of your own desert, carrying wisdom, authority, and compassion, you become a healer in the lives of others. You become someone who carries light into places that still feel dark for someone else.

A Personal Reflection for Today

Matthew 4 is more than a chapter. It is a mirror. It shows you where you are, what God is doing, and where He is taking you next.

If you’re in a wilderness, you’re not abandoned—you’re being strengthened.

If your identity feels attacked, it’s because Heaven placed greatness inside you.

If temptation feels loud, it’s because your purpose is louder.

If doors haven’t opened, it’s because God is shaping you for what’s behind them.

If you feel tested, it’s because what’s ahead requires a fortified spirit.

And if you feel like you’re walking out of a desert right now, exhausted but still standing… you are on the verge of stepping into something extraordinary.

The wilderness is not the end of the story. It is the stage on which God prepares you for the life you were designed to live.

Your Friend, Douglas

Watch Douglas Vandergraph’s inspiring faith-based videos on YouTube

Support the ministry by buying Douglas a coffee

Tried to go on my usual morning walk today, but it was too damn cold. Made it to my car, sat in it to try and warm myself up for a bit, then it was back to the office. No walking on the trails around the office today. Outside temp was not even below 40F; it was 47F. But damn 10 mph wind gusts made it feel way colder. My vest was not enough to keep me warm. Should have brought a full jacket.

On the bright side, the Screamo mix that Spotify generated today is fire!

Going back to the car I sat in today. It was the Mazdaspeed3 that I drove to work today. I also drove it to work last Monday and Tuesday. I've noticed I've been driving it to the office more than the Mazda 3 Turbo. It's not that it's a better car than the newer Mazda 3; the Mazda 3 is a better daily driver. It's simply because I don't want to rack up miles on the newer car, especially when the Speed3 is still perfectly capable of driving me to work and back.

The Speed3 might already have 145K miles on it, but it still drives well, still looks good (from afar LOL) and can still haul ass when I need it to.

The Mazda 3 on the other hand just crested 16K miles and I'm cringing already. I want it to gain miles slower than the current rate it is gaining miles at. I'm trying to save it for longer drives like road trips, and for drives where I know I will be stuck in stop and go traffic. It doesn't help that the wife tries to drive it every chance she can get. She is literally addicted to driving this car because of how good it drives, the swell of low-end torque and the ease at which it can pass other cars on the highway. Oh and did I mention, there's no wheel spin when I floor it from a stop. Not even in this colder and sometimes rainy weather.

I understand that to some, this might seem like a luxury. Every morning I get to pick which car I want to drive to work in. In a sense, it is a luxury to have that option. On the other hand, none of the two cars I have are “luxury” cars. One is an old beater that happens to be a hot-hatch from a bygone era. — (Now that's a blog post for another day, making your own beater car.) — The other, is just a Mazda 3 with a turbo engine, though the interior is really quite... I'm not gonna say luxurious, but I will say... premium.

Regardless if its a luxury or not, I can tell you how I achieved such a feat. I pay off my cars and keep driving them, instead of trading them in for a new one right after paying it off. You save so much money by not having a monthly car payment. And if you save enough of that money, you can then buy another car in the future, and still keep your old car as backup.

#Journal #Cars #Mazda #Mazdaspeed3 #Mazda3Turbo #PersonalFinance

Here are some quick takeaways of some books I read this year.

Million Dollar Weekend – Noah Hagan

• Nice lessons: Always ask for what you want. Quantity > Quality. Visualize. A nice book to be put into a productive gear.

Sapiens – Yuval Noah Harari

• Sample theses: Physical communities are being replaced by virtual communities. Natural religions (nationalism, capitalism, moral frameworks, etc.) are replacing traditional deities. Real peace is the implausibility of war.
• In the last chapter, Harari describes Sapiens as god-like, but also perpetually dissatisfied and irresponsible. It’s less of a history textbook and more of a book using history to justify commentary on human behavior.

Zero to One – Peter Theil

• This is a book for the contrarian. What important truth do very few people agree with you on? Some main ideas are (1) Competition is bad. (2) Start small and don’t disrupt. (3) The power law – hedge in winners.
• I have reread this book once every few years. I can think about recent changes (AI, tech companies, competition, etc.) within the context of some simple ideas provided by this book.

The Best American Essays 2023 – Vivian Gornick

• This is basically an anthology of eclectic voices (e.g. a doctor treating an unusually unstable drug addict, a young adult in maximum security prison turned writer due to solitude, a girl finding out her mom is gay at the very end of her mom’s life through old photos, etc.)

Creating Database and Tables! This one is a bit “harder” because I have to plan the data model correctly. For the auth, I can reuse the Supabase auth tables, so the focus will be on the tables.

For the application I need 3 tables and a many-to-many table. For now this is enough to get the app going.

After creating the tables in the Supabase UI, I used the Supabase CLI to generate the types and applied them. Additionally, I added some API functions to be more prepared for the next day.

That was Day 04. ✅

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62 of #100DaysToOffload
#log #AdventOfProgress
Thoughts?

There is a moment in every believer’s life when God stops speaking to us where we are… and starts calling us into a place we didn’t expect. Scripture often names that place “the wilderness.” It's the quiet space between who you were and who you're becoming. It’s the open land where God strips away the noise, the assumptions, the masks, and every version of yourself that can’t walk into your future.

Matthew 3 is a chapter built entirely on this idea.

Not the flashy place. Not the powerful place. Not the comfortable place.

But the right place—the place where God prepares you.

And nowhere is that clearer than in the figure of John the Baptist, a man who lived a life so radically different, so unapologetically obedient, that he became the bridge between the old world and the arrival of Jesus Himself.

Today, we walk through this chapter not just as observers but as participants—because Matthew 3 isn’t only history. It is the blueprint for transformation, purification, calling, identity, and surrender.

And if you read it slowly—if you let it breathe in your chest—you’ll discover something astonishing

Jesus did not begin His ministry in the spotlight. He began it in the wilderness.

So today, let’s step into that wilderness with Him.

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THE WILDERNESS IS WHERE GOD CALLS YOU WHEN THE WORLD CAN NO LONGER SHAPE YOU

Matthew 3 opens with a shocking detail: John the Baptist is preaching far away from the temples, the cities, and the centers of influence.

He wasn’t in Jerusalem. He wasn’t in the courts of power. He wasn’t among the elite.

He was in the wilderness—yet Israel came to him.

They left their routines, their traditions, their comfort, and their definitions of “religion” to find a man who wasn’t even trying to be found.

Because when the Spirit of God rests upon someone, people hunger for what they carry.

John didn’t need a stage. He didn’t need approval. He didn’t need status.

He needed obedience.

And when obedience becomes your oxygen, God becomes your platform.

There is a holy discomfort in this truth: God often prepares His vessels far from where people expect greatness to be born. The wilderness is not the punishment; it is the classroom of destiny.

Many people fear the wilderness because it feels like isolation. But heaven sees it as concentration.

God calls you there to cut away what you’ve outgrown, to awaken the voice you forgot you had, and to introduce you to the version of yourself that He always saw—even when you didn’t.

And when God calls you into the wilderness… it is never to leave you there. It is to meet you there.

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JOHN'S MESSAGE WAS SIMPLE—BUT IT SHATTERED THE WORLD

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repent—not as a sentence of shame, but as an invitation to return to who you were meant to be.

The word “repent” doesn’t mean grovel. It doesn’t mean self-loathing. It doesn’t mean drowning in regret.

It means:

Turn around. Come back home. Change direction. Walk toward the light that is already pursuing you.

This message wasn’t cruel. It wasn’t condemning. It wasn’t meant to crush the spirit. It was a call to awaken the spirit.

John’s voice cracked open a nation because he spoke the truth people had been starving for:

“You are not stuck where you are. God is closer than you think. Your story can change.”

That message shook the religious establishment—not because John was wrong, but because he was right.

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THE PEOPLE CAME BECAUSE THEY WANTED TRANSFORMATION, NOT RELIGIOUS RITUAL

Israel didn’t walk miles into the wilderness because they wanted better rituals.

They weren’t looking for tradition. They weren’t trying to check a box. They weren’t trying to impress anybody.

They wanted change.

They lined up at the Jordan River because something inside them whispered:

“There’s more. There has to be more. My soul knows it.”

And the river became a symbol of cleansing—not just from sin, but from heaviness, old identity, and spiritual exhaustion.

What a picture for us today.

People aren’t craving better productions in church. They aren’t craving louder sermons. They aren’t craving more complicated theology.

They crave what the crowds craved at the Jordan:

Authenticity. Healing. Identity. A fresh start.

This is why your life, your testimony, and your voice matter more than you think. When people see someone authentically transformed, they want to know the God responsible for the transformation.

You don’t need perfection to inspire others—just honesty.

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THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS MISSED THE POINT—AND MANY STILL DO

The Pharisees and Sadducees showed up, too—not to repent, but to inspect.

They didn’t come to change. They came to critique.

And John confronts them with fire:

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

In other words:

“You want the reputation of righteousness without the transformation of righteousness.”

Religion without repentance is pride. Repentance without fruit is performance. Fruit without Jesus is impossible.

John reminds them—and us—that heritage doesn’t save you. Titles don’t save you. Appearances don’t save you.

God is not impressed by spiritual posturing.

He is moved by surrender.

This moment is a warning for every generation:

You can be near the things of God and miss the heart of God. You can know Scripture but not know the Savior. You can talk about holiness but never taste freedom.

Transformation begins with humility. Humility begins with repentance. Repentance begins with invitation.

And Jesus always answers an invitation.

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THE MESSIAH ARRIVES—AND EVERYTHING CHANGES

The most staggering moment of Matthew 3 arrives quietly:

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.”

Pause and feel the weight of that.

Jesus—the sinless One. Jesus—the spotless Lamb. Jesus—the Son of the Living God.

He steps into the water and asks John to baptize Him.

Not because He needed cleansing—but because we did.

Jesus enters the waters of repentance so that one day we could enter the waters of redemption.

He joins humanity in the act of surrender so humanity can join Him in the victory of resurrection.

This is the humility of God on display.

John is stunned. He protests. He tries to reverse the roles.

But Jesus answers with one of the most important phrases in Scripture:

“Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

Jesus isn’t just being baptized. He is stepping into His mission. He is identifying with the broken, the weary, the seeking.

He is showing us that the path to glory begins with obedience, not applause.

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THE HEAVENS OPEN—AND GOD SPEAKS OVER HIS SON

As Jesus rises from the water, the heavens tear open.

The Spirit descends like a dove. The Father’s voice breaks across the sky.

And the most beautiful affirmation in human history is spoken:

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Before Jesus performs a miracle. Before He teaches a sermon. Before He heals the sick. Before He walks on water. Before He goes to the cross.

God declares:

“You are My beloved. I am already pleased with You.”

Identity precedes assignment. Love precedes labor. Belonging precedes purpose.

And God speaks the same truth over you.

You are not working for God’s love. You are working from it.

You are not earning worth. You were born with it.

God’s pleasure is not the reward for performance—it is the starting point for transformation.

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MATTHEW 3 IS YOUR INVITATION TO STEP INTO YOUR OWN TRANSFORMATION

This chapter invites you to:

Leave the noise and step into your wilderness. Let God carve clarity out of confusion. Let repentance become the doorway to renewal. Let the river wash off what life has tried to attach to you. Let Jesus meet you at the waterline of surrender. Let the Spirit rest upon you. Let the Father speak identity over you again.

Because the moment you receive this truth—not just read it, but receive it—your life begins to change:

You stop living for approval and start living from identity. You stop dragging your past into your future. You stop apologizing for your calling. You stop resisting transformation and begin walking in it.

And just like Jesus, you rise from those waters ready for what comes next.

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FINAL REFLECTION

Matthew 3 is not a call to religion. It is a call to rebirth.

Every chapter of your life changes—when you finally let God change you.

The wilderness is preparation. The river is cleansing. The baptism is surrender. The opened heavens are affirmation.

And your future? It begins the moment you believe God is already pleased to call you His own.

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**Watch Douglas Vandergraph’s inspiring faith-based videos on YouTube **

Support the ministry by buying Douglas a coffee

Your friend,

Douglas Vandergraph

#faith #Jesus #Matthew3 #ChristianInspiration #Hope #Encouragement #SpiritualGrowth

The silver full moon shines even through the clouds; illuminating them on the brownish blue night sky.

!!

And the frozen slush of molten dirty snow is blank and slippery — against the sky, however, it looks like it glimmers with gold.

And in the car it’s warm. And the dogs are warm.

And I have my family with me.

My whole world in this dark warm car.

Isn’t that something?

#poetry

Anxiety is something nearly everyone battles, but almost no one talks about honestly. You can see someone smiling, laughing, posting pictures, raising kids, running a business, serving at church, and they’ll look completely fine on the outside—while inside their mind feels like it’s spinning at a hundred miles an hour. The world sees composure. God sees a child bracing for impact from storms they never asked for.

Anxiety doesn’t show up politely. It doesn’t knock on the door and wait to be invited. It slides in unnoticed. It sits in your chest. It echoes in your mind. It interrupts sleep. It magnifies small things into disasters and turns harmless thoughts into heavy ones. And it has a way of convincing you that you’re the only person in the room feeling that way—which is the biggest lie of them all.

Because one of the greatest truths you will ever learn is this:

You can love God deeply and still battle anxiety. You can be a believer and still feel overwhelmed. You can walk with Christ and still wake up afraid.

Feeling anxiety does not mean you’re weak. It means you’re alive. It means you’re human. It means your heart cares so much that it trembles when uncertainty comes close.

But here’s the part anxiety never tells you:

You were never created to carry it by yourself.

The Quiet War No One Sees

There is a reason anxiety feels heavier when you’re alone. The mind likes to replay the worst possibilities when nobody is there to interrupt it. Anxiety loves silence. It loves the late hours. It loves the moments when your guard is down and you feel too tired to fight.

And because you feel it deeply, you start questioning yourself:

“Why can’t I calm down?” “Why does my heart race for no reason?” “Why do I always expect something to go wrong?” “Why does peace feel like something other people get to have?”

Then the guilt piles on:

“I must not trust God enough.” “I must not be strong spiritually.” “I should be able to handle this.” “I pray… so why do I still feel like this?”

Let me speak freedom into you right now:

You can have a strong faith and still fight a strong battle.

Faith is not the absence of anxiety. Faith is the decision to hand your anxiety to Someone stronger than you.

God Is Not Ashamed of Your Feelings

Sometimes people talk as if Christians should never struggle… never feel fear… never feel overwhelmed. But that’s not Scripture. That’s not the human experience. And that’s not God.

Look at David—one of the strongest, most courageous figures in the Bible. He fought lions, bears, and giants, but he still wrote things like:

“My anxiety is great within me.” “My heart is troubled.” “My soul is cast down.”

If David—chosen, anointed, favored—felt anxiety, then your struggle does not disqualify you from God’s love or His calling.

God does not look at your anxious thoughts and say, “Why can’t you be stronger?” He looks at them and says, “Come here. Let Me hold what you’re trying to carry.”

You are never judged for your fear. You are invited into His presence because of it.

What Anxiety Really Steals

Anxiety steals from the inside out.

It steals today by dragging your mind into tomorrow. It steals peace by feeding you possibilities that haven’t happened. It steals confidence by whispering that you’re not enough. It steals rest by convincing you that the world will fall apart if you stop moving.

Anxiety paints a future where God isn’t present—because anxiety only knows how to speak in the language of fear.

But fear is always inaccurate when God is in the picture.

Fear exaggerates. God reassures. Fear imagines chaos. God speaks peace. Fear says, “You won’t make it.” God says, “I will carry you.”

Fear never gets the final word when God is involved.

The Storm That Didn’t Wake Jesus

Do you ever wonder why Jesus could sleep during a violent storm while the disciples were panicking for their lives?

Because the storm didn’t threaten Him. But their fear moved Him.

Think about that:

The storm didn’t wake Jesus. Their anxiety did.

He didn’t get up because He was scared of the wind. He got up because His children were overwhelmed.

And that is exactly what He does now.

Your anxious moments do not drive Him away—they draw Him in. Your fear does not annoy Him—it moves Him with compassion. Your shaking heart does not frustrate Him—it invites His nearness.

When Anxiety Speaks Loud, Let Truth Speak Louder

Anxiety has a voice. But God has a stronger one.

Anxiety says, “You’re all alone.” God says, “I will never leave you.”

Anxiety says, “You can’t handle this.” God says, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Anxiety says, “Everything is going wrong.” God says, “I work all things together for good.”

Anxiety says, “It’s falling apart.” God says, “I am upholding all things by My power.”

Anxiety says, “You’re not safe.” God says, “I am your refuge and fortress.”

Every lie anxiety whispers is dismantled by the truth of God’s presence.

The Shift That Breaks Anxiety’s Grip

Anxiety thrives on one question: “What if?”

“What if it goes wrong?” “What if I fail?” “What if they leave?” “What if I don’t know what to do?” “What if this time is different?” “What if I can’t get through it?”

But faith doesn’t live in “what if.” Faith lives in “even if.”

“What if I lose my job?” becomes “Even if I do, God will provide.”

“What if I make the wrong decision?” becomes “Even if I stumble, God will redirect me.”

“What if the outcome isn’t what I hoped?” becomes “Even if it isn’t, God will carry me through.”

“What if I feel anxious again tomorrow?” becomes “Even if I do, God will meet me there.”

When you shift from what if to even if, anxiety loses its power to predict your future.

You Don’t Have To Be Fearless—Just Faithful

Sometimes believers think the goal is to eliminate fear completely. It isn’t.

God never said, “You must be fearless.” He said, “Do not fear, for I am with you.”

Meaning: Fear may come, but it doesn’t get to stay. Fear may whisper, but it doesn’t get to lead. Fear may show up, but it doesn’t get to decide your life.

Courage is not never feeling anxiety. Courage is choosing God in the middle of it.

Even with trembling hands. Even with a racing mind. Even with uncertainty swirling.

God doesn’t wait for you to feel strong. He becomes your strength when you feel weak.

When You Feel Like You're Failing Spiritually

Let’s address something many people won’t admit:

There are days when anxiety is so strong that prayer feels difficult. Not because you don’t love God. Not because you’re resisting Him. But because your mind feels overwhelmed.

And in those moments, the enemy loves to whisper, “See? Your faith isn’t real. If you trusted God, you wouldn’t feel this way.”

That is a lie.

You’re not failing spiritually because you feel anxious. You’re not failing because you’re exhausted. You’re not failing because your thoughts are loud.

You are fighting a battle that God is helping you win— even when you don’t feel strong.

The Promise God Speaks Directly Into Your Anxiety

There is a verse that has carried countless believers through their darkest moments. And I want you to receive it personally today:

“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” —Isaiah 41:10

Notice the pattern:

I am with you. I am your God. I will strengthen. I will help. I will uphold.

This isn’t a suggestion. This isn’t wishful thinking. This isn’t hopeful language.

This is God promising— with the full authority of Heaven— to hold you steady when your heart feels unsteady.

A Prayer for Every Person Fighting Anxiety Today

“Lord, I lift up every son and daughter reading this. You see the battles they fight silently. You see the thoughts that overwhelm them. You see the burdens they try so hard to carry alone. Wrap them in Your peace now. Let Your presence calm what their mind cannot. Push back every lie anxiety has planted. Speak Your truth into every fearful corner of their heart. Strengthen them in ways they didn’t know they could be strengthened. Comfort them in ways they didn’t know they needed comfort. And remind them that they are not alone—not for one second. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

A Final Word to Your Heart

Listen closely:

You are not broken. You are not weak. You are not a disappointment to God. You are not falling apart.

You are a human being walking through something hard, with a God who walks beside you step by step.

There will be days when the anxiety is softer. There will be days when the fear disappears completely. And there will be days when the weight feels lighter—not because life changed, but because you did.

God is strengthening you through this. He is maturing you through this. He is forming something unshakeable inside you through this.

And you will come out of this storm not just surviving— but transformed.

Hold on. Breathe. Take one step at a time. And remember:

You are loved. You are held. You are carried. You are never alone.

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Watch Douglas Vandergraph’s inspiring faith-based videos on YouTube

Support the ministry by buying Douglas a coffee

—Douglas Vandergraph

#faith #encouragement #Jesus #hope #anxiety #ChristianMotivation #inspiration

Death of The Far Right

And men came to riches You and I were forever Impossibly bare Intoning what could be Extending our day The Price is Right Seconds to film See what works for the lampstand Made to fail inner workings And to not marry Alone at international customs The size of a hummingbird Preciously waiting with widgets Hair of a Druze just for her We were people on LinkedIn Maine sold a story Of the ever-bunch and bottomless pit Oversymptomification for four This day is running you Like a place without water Noticed every sin What a trapeze would have honoured- A slight spill There was Erudite change And spoken English But of someone cousin, and the love, Making perfect in the act- We were put out for bankruptcy because we were poor We ran for the gates Were put in government Nobody showed us the door Became the President I am the little one Praying for years about sex And a tiny embargo- A fortune- Was days from war And we owed and we sued For trouble of carriage Last in line Just like you

We, The People, Expected this world Were perfunctorily perfect Mythes of second hair A lil frail Popsicle on time Precious top Eating early Hatin’ no-one Friends for life Yeah we was no-one And we left the world better- In Black Power And Christ came

Bring This To Heaven

I am the main event Even flowers were invited An incident to the left Cover your ears Juniper on Sunday Enjoying every canoe By remote there was wonder And I smashed the CRT A window to the touch High regret to one month 6 arrays of heaven And a drawer full of sleep The black and white princess With pictures for the press In peace by forever A Macintosh creation Saving the sane, The crazy ones, Fit for Heaven, Advancing here In biggest wonder Triumphant- Upon this day When applications ran free In a fire of sixteen, Finding my red balloon

⌨️

Pat McCarthy (left) with students in Liaoning, where he invested his life savings to advance education for the children of rural China through his non-profit school. Photo captured at the November 2025 Ireland-China Speech Festival.

Liaoning’s Dawn

In Liaoning's fields where quiet dreams reside,

Pat walks with purpose, love his only guide.

He gave his all—life’s savings in his hand—

To plant a school where hope could take its stand.

He does not beg, but beckons those with might,

To join his cause and bring the dawn to light.

O stewards of tomorrow, lend your flame—

Let legacy, not wealth alone, define your name.

To support this mission and help widen the horizon for children in rural China, please consider contributing through the GlobalGiving initiative Give 1,000 Rural Children an English Education.

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