Good Morning Digital Neighbors! Blessed Sunday Refugees, Triggeratti & Phamily! Hello again Early Birds, Dawn Patrol and Fascinating People and of course less we forget any Happy Bigots, Conversants and Lurkers. While many of my postings among you tend to be more of a food for thought type of sharing, it is good to return to my home turf of prayer and faith. I know that isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially for any who doubt or deny the existence of the Divine, but I don't venture on to Locals to debate the truth or fiction of any given religion. I come to know, listen and learn from my digital neighbors. There is often laughter and occasionally the gift of friendship.
Community, real or intentional, makes a profound difference in my life and in my cultivation of gratitude and perspective. I am so thankful for my parish family and so thankful to know so many of you. You are in my daily prayers. (Well almost everyone, those I have muted need to get their crap together.š) Happy Sunday my friends! On to the prayer and some beauty provided by Mother Nature.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You have told us in no uncertain terms
what is expected of us
when we say
we love you.
You have made it clear
that if we want to serve you,
express our love for you
and give joy to God,
that we shall do it
in our neighbours
wherever we find them,
by meeting their needs.
We will find you in Church
and in the streets;
We will find you
on the bus
and in the train;
We will find you
in the office and the shop,
in the hospital ward,
in prison,
in places
where we would never think to go.
For every foolish word,
every malicious thought,
and every godless act,
every neglect of human need,
every arrogant assertion
of our own goodness,
Lord, forgive us.
So work in us
that each of us
in our own small way
may be a refuge,
a refreshment
and a sure support
for the anxious,
the weary
and the weak;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. - Alan Gaunt
Mormon Row in Winter by Mr. Mike Jackson - More magic provided by photography & Duck Duck GO
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman FranƧois-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the āSun Kingā (r. 1643-1715), Voltaire suffered tragedy at a young age when his mother died. Never close with his father or brother, Voltaire exhibited a rebellious attitude toward authority from his youth. His brilliant mind was fostered in the care of the Society of Jesus, who introduced him to the joys of literature and theater. Despite his later criticisms against the Church, Voltaire, throughout his life, fondly recalled his dedicated Jesuit teachers.
Although he spent time as a civil servant in the French embassy to the Hague, Voltaireās main love was writingāan endeavor where he excelled in various genres, including poetry, which led to his appointment as the royal court poet for King Louis XV. Widely recognized as one of the greatest French writers, and even hyperbolically referred to by ...
Padre - Tom Miller invites you to a Coffee Talk, Speakeasies, Schmoozes, Tea Times, Afterhours and other gatherings.
https://teams.live.com/meet/93792382189049?p=DiBHsYfuECPgDrG7vO
2026 Coffee Talk with the ADD Irregulars
Thursday, January 1, 2026
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM (CST)
Occurs every day starting 1/1 until 12/31/2027
Coffee Talk - Daily beginning at 6:00 AM Central Time Zone - USA
White Pilled Wednesday - A break from the heaviness of news and current events to focus upon things more personal & positive for the first hour of Coffee Talk.
Afternoon Chats - Most Tuesday, Friday & Sundays 2:00 PM Central
Other chats as posted in the community.Ā
Good morning, Digital Neighbors! Happy Sabbath and Saturday to all my neighbors across the internet. I hope you had a great week and that your weekend is off to a good start.
I have the day off today and will be traveling to visit a lifelong friend and his wife. They have a wonderful historic house in central Missouri, just outside of Fayette. Itās about a 2Ā½-hour drive from here. Iām really looking forward to our time together.
YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
So make it worth your while.
Be fearless, true to yourself
and give everything you have.
Live for today and take care of the people you love,
and those that love you will do the same.
Let go of anything that is negative
and holding you down,
and always search for the positive
that will help you fly.
Donāt waste time worrying about a life
that is limited, because everything that challenges
your spirit makes you stronger.
Keep moving toward all the good that you can find
because the reward for a life that is lived
to the fullest, is a life that is ...
Dear ADD Irregulars,
Alan has decided to step away from our community for a while. He may return, but right now heās in a difficult chapter of life. This past year has been especially rough for himādepression, anxiety, unemployment, and some challenging family situations.
I spoke with him briefly on Telegram. He admitted to feeling worn down, and the recent football meme hit him at exactly the wrong moment and in the wrong state of mind. He didnāt sound like he was blaming Rich, but in his current vulnerability, he experienced the exchange as unnecessarily mean-spirited. I suspect the āwhiny-cuntā line cut much deeper than it normally would have.
Thatās the funny and frightening thing about emotions: on a good day, that back-and-forth between Alan and Rich would have been hilarious. On a bad day, it was simply too much. No one could have known beforehand.
In Alanās own words: āI saw it at exactly the wrong moment and it just hit me as unnecessarily mean spirited which was something I just didn't expect and am really not in a place to cope with at the moment.ā
This is the danger of this medium. We log on hoping for relief or distraction, and instead we sometimes encounter something that offends, outrages, or wounds us. I feel for AlanāI know from previous conversations that this has not been a good year for him.
Let this be a reminder to all of us: Do not venture onto the internet when youāre in a state of emotional vulnerability. It rarely goes the way we hope. Pressure always seeks an escape valve, and online spaces are full of sharp edges. It is far better to talk with a real personācall someone and hear a human voice with all its nuanceāthan to stare at static words on a screen that you can reread over and over, each time deepening the wound.
Praying for Alan and so sorry he is at this chapter in his life. I am guessing he might be open to any of us reaching out. I don't really know.Ā I know he is still on telegram, but not sure how esle to contact him.
Rich, if you read this I hope you chalk it under unfortunate shit happens. On most other days that post would have generated the funny back and forth that we have seen many times in the past.Ā I am sure Alan would be open to any conversation with you, that is an invitation never an expectation.Ā
[email protected]Ā For anyone who might want to contact Alan.Ā
Ā
