Good morning, digital neighbors! Happy Tuesday to all you fine souls across the internet and these communities of free thought and discussion. Our word for the day is taken from another gem of a book: Endangered Words: A Collection of Rare Gems for Word Lovers by Simon Hertnon—a guided tour of one hundred exceptional rare words. “The most recent dictionary listing for ‘veriloquent’ that I can find is in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913). Its definition is ‘speaking truth; truthful.’ This version of the adjective is also listed as obsolete.”
veriloquent {veh-RIL-oh-kwent. Adjective; also veriloquous.}
The sad experience of our current chapter of reality is that many more than ever want the lies that please them rather than the truth that saves them. Humanity is a paradoxical reality: we have minds that can grasp and seek toward the truth, yet possess wills that adamantly resist or ignore it. I was chatting via posts with @Mouser1 over at the Rubin Report about it. As the quote goes, “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” That line is attributed to Gloria Steinem, though there are other versions from the 1970s. Either way, it addresses the reality that humanity would often rather have lies and chains than truth and freedom.
The truth is freeing, but one must first acknowledge its absence in their life. That recognition can often be too painful and frightening, and many will pass on the adventure to seek the truth with greater fervor. I pray I am not blinded by the lies I have accepted but seek daily to try my best to be transformed by the truth. Revealed truth is where I place my greatest trust; experiential truth is an ever-growing reality, subject to change based on new data or further reflection.
Ever the skeptic, never the cynic. It is hard to avoid the latter because of all the lies we deal with daily from culture, politics, and life in general, but cynicism never leads us to a better place—it is a path to resignation. I am all about acceptance, but highly resistant to resignation. They often seem so similar that at first glance they can be difficult to distinguish. Acceptance humbly asks, “What can I do?” while resignation says, “There is nothing I can do.” I pray that you have voices of veriloquence in your life—those who at least believe there are truths worth discerning and pursuing, even if the grasping of them is never 100% certain.
Ray Hennessy - Unsplash - Winter cardinal
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman François-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” (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, Voltaire’s main love was writing—an 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.
Good Morning, Digital Neighbors, and Blessed Sunday to one and all!
Sundays are for gratitude, and few things impact our lives more than intentional gratitude. It is not enough to say you are blessed or that you are fortunate; the actual naming of our blessings plants them deep in the heart, transforming us as persons rather than leaving us with the bland “thankful for everything.”
Two years ago, I wrote this reflection on resentment and gratitude. In light of the celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary, I think it’s worth revisiting. We can choose to be among those who are thankful for America or among those who find nothing but fault with it.
You cannot build a future based on resentments of the past. You cannot grow if you are mired in the injuries of yesterday. God and life do not call us to ignore such experiences, but He constantly calls us forward—to be more, to receive more, to live more. Heal those wounds and work through those injuries, but do not be defined by them, and do not try to ...
