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REFLECTIONS
Gospel Moment: Honoring the Ultimate Sacrifice on Memorial Day
This Memorial Day, as we gather around grills, parades, and quiet cemetery visits across the North State and our nation, we pause to remember. We honor the men and women in uniform who paid the highest price—not for conquest, but for the preservation of freedom. They gave their lives so that we might live in a land where we can openly worship our God, speak truth, raise our families, and pursue the liberty that flows from the recognition that all men are created equal, endowe
Rex Ballard
20 hours ago3 min read
Gospel Moment: Honoring the Ultimate Sacrifice on Memorial Day
This Memorial Day, as we gather around grills, parades, and quiet cemetery visits across the North State and our nation, we pause to remember. We honor the men and women in uniform who paid the highest price—not for conquest, but for the preservation of freedom. They gave their lives so that we might live in a land where we can openly worship our God, speak truth, raise our families, and pursue the liberty that flows from the recognition that all men are created equal, endowe
Rex Ballard
20 hours ago3 min read
Gospel Moment: When Forgiveness Feels Impossible
The candidates will come and go. Policies will shift. But the heart of the matter is not ultimately left or right—it is above. Proverbs 21:1 reminds us, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” God is not pacing the heavens worried about November.
Rex Ballard
May 113 min read
Gospel Moment: The Piano Playing in Heaven
A few days back, I was driving along a quiet stretch of highway when the opening piano notes of “Blueberry Hill” drifted from the oldies radio station. That unmistakable voice — warm, rolling, full of joy — filled the car, and suddenly I was transported back to New Orleans in 2006. Memories came flooding in like the waters of Hurricane Katrina itself: I can still remember the devastated streets, the smell of rebuilding, and one unforgettable evening that I will carry with me
Rex Ballard
Apr 293 min read
President Trump Leads Historic Call for National Unity and Reformation Under God from the Oval Office
In one of the most powerful moments of his second term, President Donald J. Trump stood in the Oval Office and recited 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 — delivering a clear and bold call for national repentance, unity, and reformation under God. The President’s reading was part of the landmark “America Reads the Bible” marathon, a week-long national event leading up to America’s 250th anniversary. Nearly 500 leaders from faith, government, business, and entertainment participated.
Rex Ballard
Apr 223 min read
Gospel Moment: Trusting God’s Plans When Life Doesn’t Go Our Way
Have you ever made careful plans—only to watch them crumble? Maybe a job fell through, a relationship ended, or health news arrived that left you reeling. In moments like these, the words of Scripture become an anchor for the soul.
The Lord declares in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Notice that God doesn’t say He might have plans—He knows them.
Elisa Ballard
Apr 142 min read
Gospel Moment:
Oh, dear friend, in a world that rewards silence and punishes courage, 24-year-old NBA guard Jaden Ivey stepped boldly into the light on March 30, 2026. Just hours after his heartfelt Instagram live, the Chicago Bulls waived him. With tender conviction, he declared that the NBA’s celebration of Pride Month lifts up what Scripture calls sin, and same-sex relationships stand against God’s beautiful design for holiness.
Rex Ballard
Apr 73 min read
Easter Hope: Love That Unites Us in Turbulent Times
As Easter draws near, many American families sit at kitchen tables wondering how to stretch one more grocery dollar or keep children safe amid headlines of division and unrest. The cost of living climbs, polarization deepens, and worry feels like a constant companion. Yet in the very heart of these struggles, the Easter story offers something the world cannot: unshakable hope rooted in God’s love and the victory of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John records Jesus’ own words jus
Elisa Ballard
Apr 22 min read
Gospel Moment
Imagine a young woman sitting alone in a quiet room, her hands trembling as she stares at a positive pregnancy test. Fear whispers that she’s not ready, that no one will understand, that her dreams are slipping away. In that moment of deepest vulnerability, God’s heart beats with a love so fierce it refuses to leave her alone.
Rex Ballard
Mar 133 min read
Gospel Moment
Yet, amidst this chaos, we must recognize a deeper truth: we are not merely witnesses to geopolitical strife but participants in an ancient, cosmic battle between the Light of the Lord and the forces of evil on earth. This is no metaphor for the faint-hearted; it is the spiritual reality described in Scripture.
Rex Ballard
Mar 34 min read
Gospel Moment
Gospel Moment - Inspired by Psalms 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”
Rex Ballard
Feb 142 min read
The Homey Sage
Thet was some fiery speech thet young in-heart lady gave the other night at the City Council meeting. She spoke truth to power. Do ya think they got it? Seems to me, if you want accountability with your hard-earned money thet becomes tax dollars, you would do well to go down there yourselves and speak up…at every meeting. If you don’t, you don’t get to complain. You just have to live with them stealin’ your money.
The Homey Sage
Feb 51 min read
The Homey Sage
Well, my good buddy Rex wrote right here on good ol' Shasta Unfiltered that over 900 laws got passed for January 1 for California alone. Not that a body could keep up with all that, but it got me wondering how this could be so. Well, that AI feller told me that a California legislative session lasts 210 days. That ain't so long, but I reckon you could pass 794 new laws in that time because they did. No, they passed 917 but the governor only signed 794. Well, folks, if you di
The Homey Sage
Jan 121 min read
In case you have a question about the legality of Measure B
Now I hear that there are a more than a few folks in Shasta County who want to vote on a bill to make our elections more secure. They want Shasta County to adopt things like hand counted ballots and voter ID. Can you believe it? Now I’m not sure why anybody would get hot-under-the-collar about making elections more secure. Seems like a good thing to me. But some, including one of our county supervisors, have said that they shouldn’t do it because they’re breaking the law. A l
The Homey Sage
Dec 29, 20252 min read
Everyone Loves A Parade
--especially at Christmas, after dark, in the cold, with lights everywhere. Saturday was our annual Christmas parade and, of course, everyone was having a good time. ROV, Clint Curtis, joined the festivities with a float featuring the Nativity with Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus in a manger, with many young 'visitors' to the manager dressed up in the garb of His day. The 20-30 Club puts on the parade and they cautioned our ROV that they ask "all entries to keep their presentatio
The Homey Sage
Dec 9, 20251 min read
A Food Fight?
San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against major manufacturers of ultra-processed foods. It's about time they were taken to task. Congress isn't going to save us from them.
The Homey Sage
Dec 5, 20251 min read
Thankful For Our Heritages
I’m looking forward to a delicious turkey dinner. When I think of the first settlers of this great land and all they endured to wrest a living for themselves and their families out of the land I am more than grateful. I am also amazed that we have it so easy. Every different part of this vast land had its own challenges, but I think of the heritage of my family—my great grandparents are buried in South Dakota—making a hard and often merciless land fruitful. The Dakotas were p
The Homey Sage
Nov 26, 20251 min read
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