A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


December 30, 2022

2022 In Review ... The Devil Is In The Details


As I often have during the 11 years I have written this blog, I like to take a look back at the events of the year, and see what we can surmise about where our country is headed. I dare to say that, on the surface, my recollection of 2022 seems to point to a year of questionable highs and unparalleled lows. It's also been a year that has seen an increase in the deterioration and degeneration of the American culture. Let me share a few of the events that lead me to this summarization.

We started off the year under a cloud as the Covid pandemic continued with the repercussions of the Omicron variant. The number of reported cases increased from 55 million to 75 million in one month. Although touted as more contagious but with less severe symptoms, the impact on the American public was devastating and led to continued lock-downs and confusion over effectual health protocols. The strains on the economy and societal structure are evident as workers stay home and collect unemployment.

• The fiasco known as "January 6th" has left such a nasty impression on the collective minds of Americans that it has become a clear setback to our First Amendment rights. Can anyone explain the truth about that debacle? Because it certainly is not what the media [or the government] have promoted. It seems like there were a lot of players, each with their own agenda, and none of them were righteous nor good for the future of the country. Too many secrets, surreptitious actors, false narratives, and coverups. Will the truth ever see the light of day?

• The Russia/Ukraine War is another situation in which I find it difficult to ascertain the truth. Is this a proxy war instituted by Russia, promoting and supplying separatist rebels to bring about the defeat of the sovereign nation of Ukraine? Or is it a proxy war involving NATO and the US, urging Ukraine to deny Russia what it calls its sovereign right to reclaim Ukraine? And if you follow the money [which is always the central factor of any war], where does it ultimately lead? And how will the billions of dollars the US has spent on this war benefit the American people? What is the real purpose of our involvement?

• The Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, the decades-old decision that legalized abortion nationwide, shifting focus and the laws governing abortion to the states. And then the misrepresentation of what the Court did caused chaos around the decision. Abortion supporters claimed abortion was no longer legal and womens' right to an abortion had been usurped. "My body, my choice" was their rally cry. Paradoxically, that didn't extend to the vaccine debate. The true and accurate portrayal of the Court's decision is as follows: “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” Although not the resounding defeat of the atrocious law that pro-lifers prayed for, it is a step in the right direction of hopefully limiting the surgical murder of innocent babies.

• The wave of violence and crime in the U.S. reached unprecedented levels in 2022. Yes, there were over 600 mass shootings involving firearms in the U.S. this past year, with the most shocking being the killing of 19 students and 2 teachers in Uvalde, TX. But gun violence has now been joined by other forms of out-of-control violence across our population. Knives, bats, automobiles and brute force have all taken their place as weapons in the narrative of violence against our fellow man. Not a day goes by that the mainstream media doesn't record an act of senseless violence against innocent men, women and children. The brutality exhibited makes no sense. It's as if we are watching people whose consciences have been seared and they are operating out of sheer depravity. Mobs descend upon department stores, wreaking destruction and devastation against businesses as they "smash and grab" with seemingly no guilt or shame. We are witnessing the goodness of our society and culture slipping away, as evil puts on a bold face. Where has our empathy and compassion gone?

• 2022 was the Year of the Parent as parents began taking back their rights to raise their own children from an increasingly dictatorial Public Education System. From Critical Race Theory, to rewriting our American history, to promoting gender diversity [without the parents consent], we saw School Boards and Teacher's unions come under fire for commandeering decision-making in the lives of students. Parents became mobilized to stop the interference of government officials and agendas to take away their rights as parents to raise their children according to their personal standards. It became quite clear that parents were being pushed out of their children's lives, and the parents were having none of it! The State's plan to raise your children instead of you was met with determined and organized resistance by brave parents.

• The overreach of government agencies, once revered for their vow to protect individual rights, has become a frightening new reality. At its very foundation, our Constitution limits and diffuses powers of the federal and state governments [in order] to check government power. It also expressly protects certain rights and liberties for individuals from government interference. There lies the beauty [and power] of the Bill of Rights. But 2022 saw an alarming trend of individual rights being dismantled by agencies stepping outside the scope of their influence or enumerated powers. None was been more glaring [and revealing] than the recent data dumps concerning the social media giant Twitter and its ally, the FBI. Where this will lead, no one can say, but pulling back the curtain on this conspiracy will hopefully return some sense of moral integrity to both the internet and government ... or are we too late for that?

• Speaking of moral integrity, the Midterm Elections have shined a light on the growing concern over the efficacy of our election system. Ever-changing rules, combined with inept and dishonest methods of voting have resulted in a loss of confidence in election results. As Americans, it is part of our common dynamic that the legitimacy of our government is based on the consent of the governed. Therefore our civic engagement as a voter is the way we assure that we have a voice in how we are to be governed. But when that process is usurped by greed or graft, our liberties are endangered. It has become increasingly apparent that our elections are no longer fair or balanced. And when a nation's citizens realize they are being manipulated, it is time to rid the process of its corruption, fraud, deceit, and unlawful practices. Unless we restore the integrity of our elections, lawlessness will continue to thrive.

• We are ending the year with the FTX Crypto scandal. For the life of me, I find it hard to understand how so many people fell for Millennial crypto hedge fund founder Sam Bankman-Fried's pitch to invest in his nascent company. What about him impressed them? His free-wheeling, laid back grunge appearance? The fact that he wowed them via Zoom calls while playing video games on another tab [according to the Guardian.com]? Was it his promises to donate to the Democratic Party and their altruistic causes; or his commitment to support the planet and mother earth? I will admit that I know next to nothing about the crypto craze -- the only thing I am certain of is how uncertain it seems to invest in a currency that relies on a digital-only token. When the Wikipedia definition of a cryptocurrency, or crypto, is "a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it", then that doesn't really inspire confidence in me to invest my life savings. Yet that is what many people did ... and on the word of celebrities, who promoted it. Again, does anybody else hear the warning bells? Regardless, we will have to wait for 2023 to see the outcome of this crazy, unimaginable story of greed.

And that's not all ... carried over into 2023 will be the story of Hunter Biden's laptop and all that it threatens to expose; the inflation that jeopardizes our precarious economy; the efforts to destroy our oil and gas industries in favor of "green energy"; the overwhelming humanitarian crisis on the border and its effects on everything in this nation; the purely evil exploitation of child trafficking underwritten by evil men; and the very deep divide between our fellow countrymen. 

As I look back over the biggest stories of this past year, I have to admit that they paint a pretty dark picture of the world. It seems to me that the cultural and moral laws of our past generations are rapidly disappearing. I'd like to quote from a Washington Times article that parallels my own thoughts ... Titled What Happened To America's Cultural Boundaries, author Cal Thomas asks the question, "What are the consequences to a society that embraces an “anything goes” mentality? Who among us wants to publicly oppose anything for fear of being labeled a bigot? The standard for what is acceptable and what is not is now subjectively determined".

Then the article presents an interesting theory proposed by Christian author C.S. Lewis ... Lewis suggests that people make moral claims upon each other, saying you should or should not do such and such, or you ought to say, or not say certain things. In this, Lewis says, they are appealing to a standard outside of themselves. Lewis contends that the man who makes a moral claim on another is not merely saying that the other man’s behavior does not happen to please him. He is appealing to some kind of standard of behavior which he expects the other man to know about. And here is where Cal Thomas and I agree on our current cultural situation ... Today’s “other man” may know about such standards, [or even more alarming, not be aware of standards at all]. But let's say he acknowledges the standards exist. Sadly, he is likely afraid to speak of them lest he be ostracized from what used to be called polite society. Think about that!

And this is where the details are in the Devil! The following is a quote from radio host, writer, and political commentator Tammy Bruce: "If it becomes dangerous to say something, you'll just quit talking. And if [the powers that be] can get you to stop talking about it, then you'll quit thinking". And what happens when we quit thinking for ourselves? Where there is a void, there is always an emptiness waiting to be filled. Where there are no standards that are morally binding, that becomes a standard in and of itself. If our spiritual Enemy can get us to accept no standards -- if they can convince us to let go of all cultural and moral boundaries -- then he can fill that void/vacuum with his own system of government through mob rule, coercion, moral relativism, immoral tolerance, or just plain ol' indifference. And that's how we end up with the Beast System of the Bible. 

So, let's not just accept that the events of 2022 will define 2023 and beyond. It should be evident that we are on a moral precipice here, and the future of our generations, our nations, and the world depend on us reclaiming our moral ground and restoring the moral absolutes of our God. This country and its foundations are worth fighting for, and we have a Mighty Warrior King willing to fight for us. May the end of this year be the beginning of our renewed journey to victory as a righteous nation and people. Amen!

#2022inreview #lookingbackat2022 #bigstoriesof2022 #theyearinreview

Isaiah 58:12   And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.


 

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