C. E. Lemieux, Jr.

Writing about life, love, and loss. The Bittersweet Novelist. On the shelf: Loving Deacon, Whispers in the Wind, The Ladder Climber, Some Kind of Life, & more.

[Rep. Mike Collins @RepMikeCollins]

On this day in history in 1795, James Swan paid off the entire U.S. national debt of $2,024,899.

A Boston patriot and member of the Sons of Liberty, Swan bought the U.S. debt to France and sold it as interest-bearing shares to private investors. This move shifted America’s debt from foreign governments to private hands, strengthening the young nation’s financial footing.

[Todd Spence @Todd_Spence]

Tim Conway fell down the stairs twice as fast during rehearsals so Harvey Korman and Carol Burnett weren't ready for how slow he'd fall during the taping. They had no choice but to turn from the camera and hide their laughter 😂

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Thune needs to sings a different tune

[C. S. Lewis @CSLewisDaily]

“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” - C.S. Lewis

[Traces of Texas @TracesofTexas]

“Lorie darlin', life in San Francisco, you see, is still just life. If you want any one thing too badly, it's likely to turn out to be a disappointment. The only healthy way to live life is to learn to like all the little everyday things, like a sip of good whiskey in the evening, a soft bed, a glass of buttermilk, or a feisty gentleman like myself.”

---- Augustus McCrae, "Lonesome Dove"

[WindTalker @nmlinguaphile]

Watching Lonesome Dove Tonight in honor of the late, great Robert Duvall.

[Cinema Tweets @CinemaTweets1]

Lonesome Dove might be the best limited series ever made. Robert Duvall & Tommy Lee Jones are historically great in this series. This aired in 1989 but still holds up so well- it’s a timeless Western epic. Duvall is right in the middle of his prime here. One of the best ever.

[C. E. Lemieux, Jr. @celemieux]

We're gonna miss you, Augustus.
Even you?
Even me.

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Jesus works slowly, individually, and tangibly when he interacts with people. And most of the time it goes completely unnoticed, except by those into whose death Christ pours forth life.

People like Harvey.

Harvey and his sons, Randy and Rex, were farriers by trade. You might think of them as cowboy podiatrists of the equestrian world. They cared for the feet of horses. They drove their pickups all over Oklahoma, trimming hooves, pulling off old horseshoes and nailing on new ones. It’s hard, dirty, sweaty, backbreaking labor, made even worse if the horse has a rebellious streak. When I was a teenager, I trimmed my own horse’s hooves. I can’t imagine doing it full-time. But Harvey and his sons did it, day in and day out.

That is, until the cancer came.

The kind of cancer you can attack with radiation or chemo, orthodox or unorthodox treatments, and it goes nowhere but forward. Advances with a relentless violence irrespective of the suffering of the patient. A kind of guerilla warfare that ambushes the body here and there until, finally, there’s nothing left to do but stare at the clock and the calendar and await the inevitable end.

When I entered, the thick shades in the family room were pulled tight. Harvey was propped up on a makeshift bed. Ever the cowboy, he was wearing a faded pair of Wranglers.

“Thanks for coming,” Harvey said.
“Glad to do it,” I said.
“You got everything you need?”
“I do.”
“Alright, then.”
“Give me a second and we’ll get started.”

On the coffee table beside Harvey’s bed I laid a piece of cloth, on top of which I placed a Bible, a small glass of wine, and a tiny silver dish with a wafer of bread on it.

I remember a few of the things I said to Harvey that day. I remember reading a psalm and a passage from the Gospels. We confessed our sins together, and I put my hand on his forehead and pronounced the Lord’s forgiveness upon him. I spoke a few words to try and encourage him, assure him of God’s mercy. And, having repeated what Jesus said in the upper room to his disciples, I took that piece of bread, held it to Harvey’s mouth, and placed it inside, saying, “The body of Christ for you.” And I took the glass of wine, held it to his lips, and let him drink it, saying, “The blood of Christ for you.”

Yes, I remember a few of the things I said to Harvey that day. But I’ll never forget what he said to me. As I prayed a final petition and prepared to leave, Harvey grabbed my hand, held it tight, and said, “Thank you, Lord, for coming to see me.”

Out of the mouths of babes. And dying men. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a moment of greater clarity in my life.

This is the way things are in the kingdom of God. Inside an Oklahoma farmhouse, with a man days from death, the Lord was present not only to talk to him but to touch him, feed him, pour into his mouth the wine of new creation. It was like I wasn’t even there. Only Jesus and Harvey. Only our Father and his child. One last time here on earth before that old cowboy rode away into a paradise awaiting him.

“Thank you, Lord, for coming to see me.” Yes, Harvey, for so he comes. In shadowed rooms where cancer lurks. In lives on a collision course with the grave. He comes bearing gifts pregnant with life. Gifts we can feel and taste and smell. Tangible treasures. Little gifts full of big life—Christ’s life. A life inextricably linked to the blood of death, the body of crucifixion, the very flesh of God.

The Lord came to see Harvey as he comes to see all of us, disguised as a beggar whose pockets bulge with gold.

-Adapted from my book, Your God Is Too Glorious (2nd Edition), available at https://t.co/bRbuMBZiXA

[US Homeland Security News @defense_civil25]

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor…

And whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign [the last Thursday of November] next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—

That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—

For the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed…

For the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations—

And beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—

To render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—

To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York [on] the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

—George Washington

[Glenn Beck @glennbeck]

From @charliekirk11’s chief of staff:
Pastor Son was arrested right after Charlie left [South Korea]. Charlie met him backstage at the event and took a photo with him. After the picture CK said ‘I took that photo so if they arrest you I can post it all over social media.’

You know what to do, America.

[I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 @ImMeme0]

You can’t make this sh*t up!

CNN THEN:

2021: Painkillers should be investigated to developing fetuses

2017: Study links acetaminophen in pregnancy to ADHD

2016: Acetaminophen during pregnancy may increase risk of hyperactivity in kids

CNN NOW:

2025: Trump links autism to acetaminophen use during pregnancy, despite decades of evidence it's safe

[Natalie Jean Beisner @NJBeisner]

Charlie Kirk: “I think race is completely and totally irrelevant…Race means nothing. I care about your actions, your character, and most importantly, your soul.”

[Steve Loftus @LoftusSteve]

I didn't really know anything about Charlie Kirk

Until this week Kirk was a name and face I would occasionally see someone retweet on here and I would scroll past. I'd seen 2 or 3 short videos taken from Tiktok of him debating some low IQ college student but that was it.

I'm generally not interested in MAGA. I broadly believe in many of their goals, but find much of the rhetoric and policy implementation to be self defeating. To me Kirk was another Ben Shapiro or Tim Pool. All MAGA, all the time.

Immediately following his shooting my shock was political and societal. Another step down in what seems to be the never ending descent of American, and thus Western, society. Another sad day for free speech, no matter what you thought of the man's politics.

Then in the following hours my timeline was filled with videos of Kirk as a father, and my heart broke. I saw a man that was clearly devoted to his family and who loved them, and was loved in return, a great deal. I felt that love forever torn apart. I saw a daughter that would never run to her father and wrap her arms around him again.

The following day I saw more videos on here, and out of respect and curiosity I watched them all. Maybe they would make some sense of why someone felt the need to end this man's life and rob his children of a father. They did not.

Contrary to the tweets spreading through X as some kind of justification, what I found was a man who was deeply religious. I man that had a true belief system, and not one that he bent or shaped to fit to modern society. For example. he absolutely believed that homosexuality was a sin because that was what the bible told him, but he did not hate or think less of those people. Many of his close friends such as Peter Thiel and David Rubin were gay.

What I see when I watch the videos of Kirk is a fan of deep faith who put that faith above everything else. I see a man who treated everyone with compassion and civility. I see a man that was friendly and open and honest.

Honestly, I see a man that is braver and better than I. Not because he put himself in danger by wanted to talk to people, but by handing himself completely over to a belief system that I've never been able to get my head around. Like many of us, the idea is alien to me.

I can't say I don't watch his videos with a tinge of jealousy. What I see is a man who was completely happy. A man confident in his faith and who led his life accordingly. A man who not just believed, but acted on his belief.

At a time when so many people seem empty and depressed, it's hard not to be a little jealous of a person that seemed so fulfilled.

With this in mind, it's been incensing to see him slandered on here by people without any of the faith and none of the commitment. To see people take the man's faith and turn it into something twisted and hateful.

I knew nothing of the man in life, but I will try to listen to him more in death.

[Joel Berry @JoelWBerry]

If you watch anything from Charlie today, let it be this.

[Raven @raven_brah]

How my wife looks at me when I’m about to sit down and relax

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Grace is a constant embarrassment to the prim and proper religiosity of the squeaky clean.

The grace of God in Jesus Christ doesn’t tiptoe around puddles in its shiny new shoes but slogs ankle-deep through the stinking muck of the pig pen to raise up the poor souls who’ve tripped over temptation and face-planted themselves in the rotting mud.

Grace doesn’t hire P.I.s to sniff out the backstories of potential recipients to ensure there’s no impropriety that might disqualify them from full acceptance. Grace tramps through alleys and divorce courts and rehabs and prisons to press into unworthy hands an invitation to live for free under God’s roof.

Grace doesn’t sit cross-armed behind its desk and tsk-tsk you from across the room when you blush to confess your darkest secrets, but wraps its arms around your quaking body and lets your tears and snot drench its shoulder as it whispers, “I love you. I forgive you. You are mine.”

For that reason, grace makes enemies. Enemies like the Judaizers of Paul’s day—and our day—who twist the Gospel message from Christ’s “It is finished” to “Well, there are a few things you still must do….”

But grace will put up with none of those bewitching lies vomited from the bowels of hell.

Grace is more than cheap; it is free. Free for us because Jesus paid it all, in blood no less. And this grace of Jesus cannot be stopped, shut up, or shamed into a corner. Grace reigns triumphant in the scarred but resurrected body of Jesus Christ.

That grace is yours in Christ. And he, the love of God incarnate, will keep on doling out that grace to all of us undeserving yet beloved sinners whom he has redeemed.

_________
We began reading Galatians today in Bible in One Year. In that letter, Paul addresses the false teachings of Judaizers. For more information and to sign up, visit https://t.co/XxNvEtNH7e

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Things are falling apart in Psalm 46. Nations are raging. Kingdoms tottering. The earth gives way. The mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

If there were ever a time to explode with action and tackle this spinning world, it would be now. Hurry up and do something!

God, however, has other plans. He says, “Rapha, and know that I am God.”

The verb, rapha [רָפָה], means to let something grow slack or hang down (like your hands). Thus, in this verse, it’s translated “Be still” (ESV), “cease striving” (NASB), or “desist” (JPS).

Colloquially, we might say, “Relax.”

“Yes,” God is saying, “I know that your lives are in a tailspin. All around you, turmoil threatens. But I am your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. I am with you. I am your fortress. This current crisis is not my first rodeo. I’ve been handling these for my people from the beginning of time. So, relax. Rapha.

And know this: I am God—and not just God, but your God. The God who, now and always, is for you in Jesus Christ."
_____
Want to discover more Hebrew gems like this in the Psalms? Check out my forthcoming book, Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms. Preorder your copy at https://t.co/zU9d46Pdah

[Zak Williams @zakwilliams]

Today would have been my dad’s 74th birthday.

This season carries gravity. Father’s Day, his birthday, and the anniversary of his passing all fall within 60 days.

For me, grief has no straight path. It revisits, reshapes, and rises when I least expect it.

But alongside it lives a legacy built on generosity and kindness.

He made people feel seen. Gave permission to feel deeply and to laugh through pain. That mission continues.

To those carrying loss right now: you’re not alone.

Happy birthday, Dad. Love you forever.