One Candle

Retired RN, blogger of Book reviews, love animals-especially cats, Faith and Family are key. I pledge allegiance to the Lamb-the Truth, the Way, the Life.

[Leading Report @LeadingReport]

BREAKING: Guy who was talking with Charlie Kirk before he was sh-t says:

“The point I was trying to make is how peaceful the left was… right before he got sh-t.”

[Mattyk772 @Mattyk772]

@JDVance

[JD Vance @JDVance]

A while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today.

Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind. Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives. When others were right, he learned from them. When he was right--as he usually was--he was generous. With Charlie, the attitude was never, "I told you so." But: "welcome."

Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. I was interested but skeptical there was a pathway. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well. He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. "Like his dad, he's misunderstood. He's extremely smart, and very much on our wavelength." Don took a call from me because Charlie asked him too.

Long before I ever committed (even in my mind) to running, Charlie had me speak to his donors at a TPUSA event. He walked me around the room and introduced me. He gave me honest feedback on my remarks. He had no reason to do this, no expectation that I'd go anywhere. I was polling, at that point, well below 5 percent. He did it because we were friends, and because he was a good man.

When I became the VP nominee--something Charlie advocated for both in public and private--Charlie was there for me. I was so glad to be part of the president's team, but candidly surprised by the effect it had on our family. Our kids, especially our oldest, struggled with the attention and the constant presence of the protective detail. I felt this acute sense of guilt, that I had conscripted my kids into this life without getting their permission. And Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA. He wasn't just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists. And after every event, he would give me a big hug, tell me he was praying for me, and ask me what he could do. "You focus on Wisconsin," he'd tell me. "Arizona is in the bag." And it was.

Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him.

Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he'd encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak. He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.

Charlie had an uncanny ability to know when to push the envelope and when to be more conventional. I've seen people attack him for years for being wrong on this or that issue publicly, never realizing that privately he was working to broaden the scope of acceptable debate.

He was a great family man. I was talking to President Trump in the Oval Office today, and he said, "I know he was a very good friend of yours." I nodded silently, and President Trump observed that Charlie really loved his family. The president was right. Charlie was so proud of Erika and the two kids. He was so happy to be a father. And he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could build a family.

Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other's chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy and sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he'd always have their backs. And because he was a true friend ,you could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to. So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene. He didn't just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.

I was in a meeting in the West Wing when those group chats started lighting up with people telling Charlie they were praying for him. And that's how I learned the news that my friend had been shot. I prayed a lot over the next hour, as first good news and then bad trickled in.

God didn't answer those prayers, and that's OK. He had other plans. And now that Charlie is in heaven, I'll ask him to talk to big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly.

You ran a good race, my friend.

We've got it from here.

[One Candle @OneCandle1]

#AudiobookGiveaway #HistoricalFictionLovers #ChristianFiction #CleanRomance #RomanticHistory #HistoricalRomance #AudiobookAddict #FaithInFiction #HistoricalBookworm #IndieAuthorLove #CleanReads #GiveawayAlert https://t.co/S0Lhn1QwRX

[One Candle @OneCandle1]

@LeadingReport Ana’el, actually he’s one of the few Presidents who has been doing what he says he’s going to do, unlike under Biden we didn’t know who was making the decisions…

[Ben Shapiro @benshapiro]

This is a true tragedy. She was a wonderful human being. RIP.

[Brian Hegseth @brianhegseth]

President Trump's first #Cabinet meeting this morning; begins with earnest prayer led by HUD Secretary Scott Turner. #asitshouldbe #inGodwetrust

[One Candle @OneCandle1]

https://t.co/bkEIww8qBw

[One Candle @OneCandle1]

@PartesanJournal @Franklin_Graham No, they want the constitution to work and not Socialism. They want people to be able to afford their food and have a safe border. The way it supposed to be.

[Franklin Graham @Franklin_Graham]

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (1 Peter 5:5-8)

[Amboy Carnivore @AmboyCarnivore]

https://t.co/M16OMPd5Tt

[One Candle @OneCandle1]

@DanaPerino Ignore the haters, Dana. Thanks for sharing pictures of Percy. It does help make our day. Appreciate hearing what you have to say because open borders and cashless bail does not make us feel safe or better…

[Mark R. Levin @marklevinshow]

BREAKING!!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the lunacy of Biden’s Iran policy.

Biden’s position in refusing to support Israel from taking offensive military action against Iran means that BIDEN WILL NOT SUPPORT ANY MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES AND THAT IRAN WILL HAVE A FUNCTIONING NUCLEAR ARSENAL WITH WHICH TO THREATEN THE UNITED STATES, ISRAEL, THE ARAB WORLD, AND THE REST OF THE WORLD WITHOUT FEAR OF MILITARY ATTACK. The best time for Israel to hit Iran’s nuclear sites, with critical U.S. support, would’ve been now.

Biden’s appeasement of Iran and intentional funding of Iran, lack of deterrence against Iran and efforts at crippling Israel’s efforts to neutralize Iran’s military and terrorist operations, ensures that Islamist-fundamentalist Iran will become a nuclear power. And once that occurs there will be few options to limit Iran’s ambitions short of a devastating confrontation with frightening risks. What will we do if Iran closes the Red Sea and other navigable waters used to transport oil? And It will also contribute even further to the firepower of the China-Russia-NK-Iran axis and cause other Middle East countries to acquire nuclear weapons. THIS is the world Biden and Blinken are creating while sanctimoniously lecturing about their efforts to de-escalate military confrontations.

Again, the crucial point is that Biden has not only signaled to Iran that no effective action will be taken to stop its nuclear program but Biden has actually acted to ensure that Iran’s final path to building nuclear weapons is open and clear. That’s what is meant by no support for offensive military action against Iran.

The idea that missile defenses are the answer to preventing offensive strikes against Israel or any country is lunacy. On its face it’s illogical. It’s a deterrent under certain circumstances. Maybe in many circumstances. But ultimately you don’t stop missile attacks by chasing another country’s. You stop missile attacks with certainty by destroying that country’s capacity for launching missiles and/or deterring such attacks by subjecting that country to punishing offensive military attacks. Despite Biden’s massive and current propaganda operation to the contrary, facts are facts.

Furthermore, it’s beyond debate that the duplicitous Biden actually colluded with Iran through intermediaries to create the events that took place in the skies over Israel a few nights ago. And, of course, Israel was in the dark about it. (This is the same Biden regime that outrageously demands tactical approval over Israel’s battlefield decisions.) Why? Because it wouldn’t have gone along with such treachery and put its people through such a heinous subterfuge. Think about how morally corrupt, among other things, the Biden regime's actions truly are.

Biden and the Iranian regime sympathizer, Blinken, coordinated with Iran over the timing, types of missiles, and even Iranian propaganda. The purpose was to prevent Israel from pulverizing Iran’s military capabilities. Indeed, the Biden regime began leaking immediately to their favorite reporters and media outlets (many of the same press sympathizes they relied on during the Obama regime to promote the Iran nuclear deal) that Israel had provoked Iran and hadn’t told the U.S. in advance about the planned attack on Iran’s terrorist compound in Damascus. Obviously, Israel didn’t forewarn Blinken because he would’ve leaked it to the media! Moreover, Israel is not obliged to get permission from Biden on how and whether to defend its people. Biden and Blinken are hostile to Israel and seek to overthrow its democratic government. They��ve repeatedly told this openly to the entire world, including the Iranians.

Every one of these shocking and appalling Biden regime mobster tactics, and there are more, with the attendant scheming, plotting, leaking, usurping, and back-stabbing against a longtime essential and loyal ally, which is in a daunting and bloody war literally triggered by the insane policies of the Biden regime, is beneath contempt and a stain on America’s character and reputation as the world’s moral beacon.

It is Biden and Blinken who are impulsive, ignorant, reckless, incompetent, and dangerous. It is they who’ve abandoned a rational and prudent foreign policy in pursuit of incoherent and ideologically-driven utopian ambitions. And it is they who’ve escalated military conflict on multiple continents. For them, there is no good or evil, right or wrong. Hence, they fund Iran and threaten Israel. They seek Netanyahu’s ouster and the ayatollah’s approval.

Be worried. Very worried.

[Luke Lyddon @Luke_Lyddon]

Chuck, a class act shaking the hands of every #Purdue player coming off the court after suffering a loss in the National Title game

[Collin Rugg @CollinRugg]

JUST IN: Country star Toby Keith has died at the age of 62 after a long battle with stomach cancer.

Keith was known for his love for his country, our troops and would even perform for military personnel overseas.

Keith also was one of the first people to help launch Taylor Swift’s career.

Here is Keith performing ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.’

It still gives me chills.

RIP.

Video: @SaltyGoat17

[Franklin Graham @Franklin_Graham]

Although I never met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I did have the privilege of hearing him speak in person once. My father @BillyGraham knew him well and their friendship meant a lot to him. Once on a trip together, hotel space was scarce so they even had to share a room! They also shared a love for God and for people. They’re pictured here together in 1962. #MLKDay #Throwback

[Franklin Graham @Franklin_Graham]

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys & where thieves do not break in & steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) #Alaska

[Franklin Graham @Franklin_Graham]

The best decision you could ever make in this new year is to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior.

[Franklin Graham @Franklin_Graham]

As we begin a new year, with the world on the edge of despair and hopelessness, pray to the God of Heaven, confess your sins to Him and turn from them, and believe on the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ—who is the creator and sustainer of this universe, the planet on which we live, and every living thing. Only through Him will you find hope—not just for the new year—but eternal hope!

[Franklin Graham @Franklin_Graham]

It’s a sad day for the Church of England. Any decision that goes against the Word of God is wrong—even if it’s called a trial. The Church of England decided to go forward with trial blessing services for same-sex couples. We need to pray for the Church around the world to return to the firm foundation of God’s Word.
https://t.co/YpJXFwSqed