Reading – Micah 1-2

Highlight Verses:

“Look! The Lord is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven and tramples the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath his feet and flow into the valleys like wax in a fire, like water pouring down a hill.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The first thing I noticed about Micah was the

uniquely poetic language.

Make no mistake, it is God’s Word.

But I find it fascinating that God chose to work within the styles and circumstances of each prophet to bring His message to us.

The Bible has about 40 writers over 66 books with many different styles and one message – God’s love for us exhibited in many different ways in different contexts.

I should make the disclaimer that this is not a pure exposition of the direct truths of this passage.

Instead, today I simply observe one of God’s truths lived out in the delivery of God’s truth to the people of Israel.

If you need proof of the validity of this point, read about it in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

The point is, God uses our individual styles and situations to bring His Word to people today.

Mind you, He is not using us to add to His Word.

But He can use our stories, our artwork, our music, our hospitality, etc., to bring the principles of His Word to the world around us.

We would do well to seek God’s guidance on the unique ways He can work through each of us.

How do you think God can best use you to bring His Word to the world?
How have you seen Him work through you in the past?

Today’s Community Picks highlights posts, projects, ideas, and reader comments from around the BSV community that remain worth attention. Some are new, some are continuing threads, and some are earlier signals that still help explain where builders and community voices are focused.

Robotics / Payments Infrastructure

A small robotic car turns movement into BSV micropayments

A recent community demonstration gives BRC-105 micropayments a physical form: a small robotic car whose movement is connected with BSV payments.

MrBen Palmer demonstrated the car during the August Metanet Meetup. Individual wheel activity can trigger micropayments, while an AI can also operate the vehicle live.

The particularly interesting part is the user experience. A follow-up demonstration explains that the person controlling the car through the web page does not need to directly manage a wallet, private keys, or an account.

BRC-105 provides the payment framework underneath the experiment. It defines how an authenticated web service can respond to a request with HTTP 402 Payment Required, allowing the client side to construct and submit a BSV transaction before the requested service continues.

That turns payment into part of the machine instruction.

Instead of a person stopping to open a wallet, enter an amount, and approve a conventional checkout, an application can connect a small payment with a specific service action. In this demonstration, that action happens to move a physical machine.

The car is a prototype, not an industrial robotics deployment. Its value is in making the architecture easy to see: software requests an action, payment authorizes the service, and a machine responds.

That same pattern could eventually apply to APIs, sensors, vehicles, computing resources, AI agents, or other machines purchasing narrowly defined services from one another.

Source: X / Follow-up / BRC-105

Public Use Cases / Voting

Votari expands its voting experience across four language options

Votari has expanded the localized experience of its digital voting application.

The app is now available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese, with localization extending from election creation through joining an election, casting a vote, and viewing the result.

This is a modest product update, but it matters for an application aimed at community and organizational decision-making.

Voting systems are unusually sensitive to language. Instructions, eligibility, ballot wording, election rules, and result presentation must be understandable to participants without requiring them to interpret unfamiliar terminology.

Votari combines that user-facing layer with on-device identity verification and blockchain-backed election records. Its model is designed so that election rules can be established in advance, votes remain private, and the resulting records can later be independently checked.

Localization does not prove adoption, nor does it resolve the wider institutional and legal questions surrounding digital voting. It does make the application usable by a broader range of groups and moves the project one step further from a technical demonstration toward an operational voting tool.

Source: X / Votari

Gaming & Creator Apps

grafverse turns a 3D world into an on-chain creative canvas

grafverse is a new creative application built around a simple invitation: enter an empty world and paint it to life.

The project combines a 3D painting environment with BSV Blockchain records. Users can create inside the virtual space and choose to preserve their work on-chain, connecting the visual experience with a persistent record of what they made.

The application describes itself around creator ownership rather than platform-controlled content.

That makes the experiment interesting beyond the graphics themselves.

Most creative applications let users make something inside an environment whose database, file storage, account system, and continued availability remain under the platform operator’s control. grafverse explores what changes when a creation can also be associated with a public blockchain record outside that conventional application database.

The project is still early. It was newly listed in August and should be understood as a creative experiment rather than a mature creator platform.

Even so, its 3D interface gives on-chain publishing a different character from document storage, social posts, or collectible galleries. The blockchain is connected with something the user actively creates inside a visual world.

Source: grafverse / BSV Radar

Wallet Infrastructure / Developer Tools

PostgreSQL backend expands the developing Ruby BRC-100 wallet stack

The developing Ruby BSV wallet stack now includes a PostgreSQL backend designed around BRC-100 wallet operations.

bsv-wallet-postgres provides database structures for wallet actions, inputs, outputs, spendable UTXOs, baskets, labels, tags, identity certificates, transaction proofs, blocks, and broadcasts.

It also implements practical wallet services around that data: transaction lifecycle management, UTXO selection, Merkle-proof storage, broadcasting queues, migrations, and structural checks intended to prevent invalid wallet state from entering the database.

The wider Ruby wallet project aims to implement the BRC-100 application-to-wallet interface while keeping transaction construction, broadcasting, proof management, and database responsibilities separated into distinct layers.

That matters because a wallet is much more than a place to hold private keys.

A functioning application wallet must continuously manage outputs, transaction state, proofs, pending broadcasts, labels, certificates, recovery information, and synchronization with the network. As use grows, those records need database infrastructure that remains consistent even when several wallet processes are happening at once.

The project remains explicitly pre-production, and its database model is still changing as development progresses. It should therefore be viewed as active infrastructure work rather than a finished wallet product.

Its significance is the growing language and backend diversity around BRC-100. Developers working in Ruby and PostgreSQL can begin approaching the same wallet-interface model already being developed across other BSV tooling stacks.

Source: GitHub / BSV Radar

Update — August 14, 2026

After eight years as the eyesore of the Cappuccino Strip, the vacant former Hungry Jacks building will be activated again, at least for six months and as a pop up.

Freo’s own placemaking astronauts SPACEMARKET today took delivery of the keys and will develop the site into a booze-free community space, with opportunities for live music, open mic and poetry events, etc. Whatever the creative minds of Fremantle can come up with.

The site has development approval for a two-storey sports bar, but in the current construction climate and excessive costs, that might still be a long way from realisation.

Good on you Sarah Booth and team. Great initiative-again!

Roel Loopers

It might be time to revive CT and go against the grain of Christians and Romantics. Or maybe it’s all balderdash? 

It takes more effort now to conjure 6am today. The complexion differs between Maxwell and River Roads, of course. I think of the word fission in science, the opposite of fusion: pulled apart. Maybe diffused is how my being feels right now. Dispersed and spread out. 

August takes the cake for bizarre and bad stuff to happen. 

6:40. 

Sleep and dreamed something scary. The last part, in my old bedroom, was dark and like a meeting of Jesco Club. No place to sit on the left, so I took a seat behind a dangerous guy across and in back. 

I woke up and made a sandwich. Now I’m thinking only of safe and normal. But safety is very relative, and the danger often is within ourselves. 

7:20. 

Only to add what I saw in the alley behind the grocery store. More importantly, how I felt walking through it. There were a total of three homeless people around the place, who seemed to know each other. I guess the real issue was being caught alone in such a spot. I wasn’t supposed to be there. What I noted most clearly was the orange graffiti sprayed on the back of the building… 

The public outrage about the planned removal of 26 mature trees for the Hilton Park development, and the one a few weeks ago about tree removal at Douro Road, to accommodate a pedestrian crossing, shows that community consultation by the City of Fremantle needs to be more detailed.

There are so many Masterplans for so many areas around Fremantle, and most of those are aspirational rather than showing detailed design plans, the impact on nature, etc.

That results in the community feeling mislead by Council, although I firmly believe that is not the case. The officers and elected members just need to become a lot better at communicating. They don’t have anything to hide and don’t want to hide anything from the public, so they really need to cross the Ts and dot the Is, to make absolutely certain that the public understand what they actually want to achieve.

State clearly that the plan includes removing 26 trees, instead of saying some trees will be removed. Be honest and upfront, to avoid confrontation and silly conspiracy claims that you are trying to hide facts from the public.

Communication is not rocket science. It is simple, straight forward and without any attempt at spin, or making something sound better than it is!

But what everyone should realise, is that this is not some kind of war between the community and Fremantle Council. It is an extension of community consultation, that should have been handled better and be more detailed. Let’s all chill a bit.

Roel Loopers

Check it out here: Live Maui Beach Cam

A quick heads-up: if the stream stalls, freezes, or looks choppy over the next few days, it’s likely just storm interference affecting the connection or visibility — not a technical issue on our end. Refresh the page if it stalls, and it should pop right back. Once the weather clears, expect the usual glassy mornings, afternoon texture, and low western sunsets.

Help Shape Future Events at Fremantle Prison! We’re exploring new opportunities to deliver exciting events, functions and community experiences at Fremantle Prison and we’d love to hear your ideas.

Whether you’re interested in live music, family activities, cultural events, food and drink experiences or unique heritage experiences, your feedback will help shape future programming at our iconic site.

Complete our Community Events & Experiences Survey –https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/M6y8HFdzE3

Takes approximately 5 minutes

Survey closes 31 August 2026

Your feedback will help guide future events and activations at Fremantle Prison.

Roel Loopers

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Drive along the Siun-Sagamu Expressway today and it is easy to miss how recently the landscape around Kobape was little more than open bush. Today, standing prominently on that corridor is Prince Court Estate — a thriving residential community of completed and occupied homes, with its own electricity supply, shopping mall, health centre, ATM gallery and security post.

It is more than an estate.

It is a statement of what housing policy can become when it is conceived not merely as the provision of shelter, but as an instrument of economic development, urban renewal and wealth creation.

That is perhaps the most important story behind the housing transformation taking place quietly across Ogun State under Governor Dapo Abiodun.

When the first phase of Prince Court Estate took shape at Kobape, few would have imagined that it would become the anchor of a rapidly developing residential corridor. The estate has since expanded through four phases, while the surrounding area has recorded significant growth in residential and commercial activity.

The model has subsequently been replicated across the state.

From Idi-Aba in Abeokuta to Sagamu, Itanrin in Ijebu-Ode, Ilaro and the Gateway Aviation Village at Iperu, the Abiodun administration has deliberately spread housing development across Ogun’s three senatorial districts.

The objective is clear: to ensure that the benefits of Ogun’s rapid economic expansion are reflected not only in factories, roads and commercial investments, but also in the quality and availability of homes for the people who live and work in the state.

Housing as economic policy

The significance of the programme lies in its architecture.

The Abiodun administration has approached housing as both a social responsibility and an economic asset. Its portfolio cuts across affordable housing for ordinary families, premium housing for middle- and high-income earners, public-private partnerships, urban regeneration and the redevelopment of underutilised government assets.

The first phase of the Kemta, Idi-Aba scheme, comprising 150 two- and three-bedroom homes, sold out rapidly. That response was an early indication of the enormous pent-up demand for decent and affordable housing in Ogun.

At Kobape, some of the early Prince Court homes were sold to civil servants and members of the public for between about N4.95 million and N5 million. According to figures provided by the state’s housing authorities, similar properties are now worth substantially more on the open market.

That transformation is significant.

It means the government’s intervention did not simply put roofs over people’s heads. For many early beneficiaries, it created an appreciating asset and opened a pathway to household wealth.

In a country where housing remains one of the biggest barriers to economic security for working families, that is a powerful dimension of public policy.

From estates to communities

The most striking feature of the Ogun model is that the government has not treated housing as the construction of isolated blocks of buildings.

Prince Court illustrates the philosophy.

Electricity, healthcare, security, banking and commercial facilities have been integrated into the development, creating a community rather than merely an estate.

That approach matters because modern housing policy is ultimately about the quality of life around the house.

A home without reliable infrastructure, access roads, security, healthcare, commerce and other essential services can quickly become another form of urban vulnerability. But when housing is integrated with these services, it becomes the foundation for a functional community.

This is where the Ogun intervention acquires a broader development significance.

Housing generates demand for roads, electricity, water, retail, transportation, security and other services. Construction itself creates jobs across a long chain of activities involving artisans, engineers, architects, surveyors, suppliers, manufacturers, estate managers and financial institutions.

Every new estate therefore has an economic footprint that extends well beyond the walls of the individual houses.

Unlocking forgotten public assets

The administration’s housing philosophy is perhaps even more evident in its urban regeneration projects at Ibara in Abeokuta and Igbeba in Ijebu-Ode.

For decades, more than 200 civil servants’ quarters constructed over 50 years ago had deteriorated and become largely unusable across approximately 25 hectares of valuable government land.

The Abiodun administration chose not to allow those assets to continue decaying.

Instead, it moved to replace obsolete structures with modern buildings, producing more than 250 smart buildings across the two locations.

The policy significance is substantial.

Government land in prime urban locations is a finite public asset. When buildings on such land become obsolete and unusable, the state faces a choice: continue spending scarce resources maintaining failing structures or redevelop the land in a way that creates new value.

Ogun chose the latter.

The result is not simply new housing. It is the conversion of underutilised public land into productive urban assets, while simultaneously modernising the physical character of some of the state’s most important government layouts.

That is urban regeneration with a balance sheet.

A programme still gathering momentum

Far from winding down, the programme is expanding as the Abiodun administration enters the final stretch of its tenure.

The Ogun State Executive Council has approved another package of projects comprising 450 two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows with supporting infrastructure, 28 official quarters for members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, 28 sellable duplexes at the Ibara Government Reservation Area Scheme II and the reconstruction of the Ogun State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja. (Trending News)

Taken together, the approvals reveal the breadth of the administration’s housing and urban-development strategy.

The 450 bungalows will expand the supply of affordable housing. The Assembly quarters will provide modern accommodation for legislators and preserve institutional assets. The 28 Ibara GRA duplexes will unlock further value from a prime government location, while the reconstruction of the Governor’s Lodge will preserve an important state asset and provide a modern institutional facility.

The projects also reflect a broader government policy of replacing obsolete public infrastructure with modern, functional and durable facilities capable of serving the needs of a growing state.

That policy is particularly relevant to public housing and government quarters inherited from previous decades. Where structures have become severely degraded and rehabilitation is no longer economically sensible, redevelopment offers an opportunity to create more valuable, efficient and sustainable assets.

The new housing projects, meanwhile, extend the administration’s affordable-housing intervention while stimulating activity across the construction value chain.

From contractors and engineers to artisans, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers, housing construction generates employment and creates demand across multiple sectors of the economy.

The Ibara GRA Scheme II duplexes add another dimension: the strategic use of prime public land to generate modern residential assets, attract private investment and strengthen the value of the state’s property portfolio.

In that sense, the latest approvals are not isolated construction projects. They are part of a deliberate policy of combining housing delivery with urban regeneration, institutional development and asset optimisation.

The numbers behind the ambition

The scale of the intervention is reflected in the numbers.

At a briefing in January on the 2026 housing roadmap, the Commissioner for Housing, Jamiu Akande Omoniyi, disclosed that Ogun planned to deliver no fewer than 3,000 additional housing units in 2026, backed by more than N100 billion allocated to the housing sector. The plan forms part of the administration’s broader ambition to deliver 10,000 housing units by 2027. (Punch Newspapers)

The commissioner had also said that more than 4,000 affordable housing units were delivered between 2019 and 2023, with additional units subsequently taking the reported delivery figure above 5,000.

The numbers are important not simply because they represent houses. They represent the scale of public intervention required to respond to a rapidly growing state whose strategic location next to Lagos continues to drive population growth, industrialisation and investment.

Ogun’s housing challenge is therefore inseparable from its economic success.

As more factories, businesses and people move into the state, demand for housing will increase. A government that fails to anticipate that demand risks allowing economic growth to produce housing shortages, informal settlements and uncontrolled urban expansion.

The Abiodun administration’s response has been to get ahead of that curve.

Housing the workforce of a growing economy

There is also a strategic economic dimension to affordable housing.

Ogun has positioned itself as one of Nigeria’s leading investment destinations, with major industrial clusters and expanding commercial activity. But investors do not operate in isolation. Workers need homes. Families need schools and healthcare. Businesses need functioning communities around them.

Housing is therefore part of the infrastructure of investment.

By expanding residential communities around major growth corridors, government is helping to create the conditions for a more balanced relationship between where people work and where they live.

That has implications for productivity, commuting, family welfare and the long-term sustainability of urban growth.

It is why the state’s housing programme should not be viewed as a collection of government estates scattered across Ogun.

It is part of the broader infrastructure supporting the state’s economic transformation.

The legacy taking shape

Perhaps the clearest evidence of the programme’s significance is the way individual projects have begun to alter their surrounding environments.

Kobape is a case in point.

What began as a housing project has become part of a broader residential and commercial ecosystem. The same principle is now being applied in other parts of the state, while the regeneration of Ibara and Igbeba demonstrates that the administration is also looking inward — renewing old government assets rather than endlessly expanding into new land.

This is the policy legacy taking shape.

Governor Abiodun’s housing programme has evolved from providing houses to creating communities; from constructing buildings to unlocking land value; from meeting immediate shelter needs to supporting economic growth; and from developing new estates to regenerating ageing urban centres.

The ambition to reach 10,000 housing units is therefore more than a numerical target. It represents an attempt to institutionalise a housing culture in which government, private developers and residents all participate in expanding the state’s housing stock.

And the programme is not being designed merely as a legacy of photographs and commissioning ceremonies.

The administration has repeatedly affirmed its determination to complete the projects it has initiated before the end of its tenure.

That distinction matters.

A legacy is not defined by what a government announces. It is defined by what remains standing, occupied, functional and valuable after the government has left.

Across Kobape, Kemta, Idi-Aba, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Ilaro, Iperu and the regeneration sites at Ibara and Igbeba, the evidence is increasingly visible.

The quiet transformation of Ogun’s housing sector is, in reality, part of a much larger story — one in which housing has been repositioned from a welfare item on a government balance sheet to an engine of urban renewal, economic participation, asset creation and social stability.

That may ultimately be one of the most enduring dimensions of the Dapo Abiodun legacy.

Erdington Library, Birmingham, England.

My mother, her siblings, my immediate family and a host of other people learnt to read for pleasure, thanks to this building, Erdington Library. It was one of 2,500 founded with grants from Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish American industrialist between 1888 and 1929. This one dates to 1911. That was the year Erdington Council ceased to exist, its powers and duties being transferred to the City of Birmingham, which also now took on responsibility for the baths, whose roof is visible behind the library; it is now a modern leisure centre.

The library has been closed for some months because of weather damage making parts of the building unsafe but repairs are under way and my cousins will be back to normal, at least so far as reading material is concerned.

When I was a cub (scout) I decided to take the ‘Reader’ badge. Back then, aged about 9, I was sent to an address in Erdington where the examiner would see me. I was more than surprised when the door opened to my knock and one of the librarians invited me in and gave me half an hour or more of her time. Not to mention Jammy Dodgers and milk to get the grey matter stirring!

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has welcomed members of the Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) political family and the Buruji Kashamu political group into the mainstream of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing their decision as a significant step towards strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Governor Abiodun received the groups at a meeting held at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, where he commended their decision to align with the APC and work together for the success of the party and its candidates across Ogun East Senatorial District.

He said political actors who share common interests should be able to speak with one voice, particularly in an election year, rather than dissipate their energy working for different political parties.

The Governor, however, expressed concern over the recent relaunch of the foundation of the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District and former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, was special guest of honour.

Abiodun said the development appeared to suggest that the former governor had chosen to operate outside the mainstream of the APC, despite his status as a respected political figure in Ogun State.

He noted that his relationship with Daniel had always been guided by respect for the office of governor and the responsibilities that come with being a former governor.

“You know OGD is my leader because he was governor before me. I joined Ogun State politics way before him. Without a doubt, I was a senator-elect in the state in 1996/1997,” Abiodun said.

The Governor recalled his political journey, including his emergence as a senator-elect, saying his experiences had taught him that political influence and power were privileges from God that must be exercised responsibly.

“You don’t begin to act as if you are God. You don’t begin to play as if you are an emperor. God gives us power and looks at how we use it. If you utilise it very well, God will leave it with you for a long time to continue to wield it. If you abuse it, God will take it away from you and give it to somebody else,” he said.

Abiodun also revisited the political developments of 2023, revealing that he had been advised against supporting Daniel’s emergence as the APC senatorial candidate because of concerns that the former governor might eventually turn against him.

Despite the warnings, he said he supported Daniel because of his respect for him as a former governor and his belief that political disagreements should not diminish the respect accorded former occupants of the office.

“I just decided that we should honour him because one day, I will also become a former governor,” he said.

The Governor further recalled an occasion at which, according to him, Daniel expressed uncertainty over who would emerge as the next governor of Ogun State despite one of the contestants being a member of his political party.

“Now the gloves are off. He is the same person that we heard in an audio saying he had taken someone to court,” Abiodun added.

The Governor assured the new entrants into the APC that they would not regret their decision, promising that his administration would continue to promote unity, inclusiveness and cohesion within the party.

He also disclosed that significant developments concerning Ogun State’s anticipated emergence as an oil-producing state and the proposed deep-sea port would be announced before the end of the year.

Speaking at the meeting, the Governor’s Senior Consultant on Political Matters, Aremo Tunde Adesanya, said the delegation was at the meeting to formally reaffirm its loyalty to the APC and its commitment to Governor Abiodun.

Adesanya, who previously served as the coordinator of Otunba Gbenga Daniel in Odogbolu Local Government before his removal over his alignment with the APC mainstream, said the group had decided to identify fully with the party.

Also speaking, Mr. Oladipupo Owoduni said the meeting was convened to bring together political stakeholders committed to the APC, Governor Abiodun and all the party’s candidates.

He dismissed reports suggesting that members of the group would support candidates of other political parties, insisting that their commitment remained firmly with the APC.

Owoduni disclosed that the group had commenced the “Operation 5 Direct” mobilisation programme, aimed at securing victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Abiodun in his senatorial bid, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola in the governorship election, as well as APC candidates for the House of Representatives and Ogun State House of Assembly in Ogun East.

The development further strengthens the APC’s political structure in Ogun East as the party intensifies mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Wapakoneta Police Department Introduces Flock Safety Transparency Portal

I heard the street cleaner pass up and down. 

I stopped by the park on Silver Lane to sit on an iron bench. Met a few people, some with dogs, all of them friendly. More calmly, I reflect that a park was a good idea, even though they razed my old school. And another apt observation by Scott… I would’ve returned from Bi Mart on Kourt Drive. But the walkway past the chain link was blocked by a homeless person, his stuff, and his bike. This forced a change of route. 

One fifty. 

Aesop drinks and I simmer down by degrees. The morning trip wasn’t a total mistake. The Bi Mart clerk whose name I’d lost is Lynn. Another, younger, clerk is Jen. 

Realism is usually like that. Not all good, not all bad. The mental filter can blot the whole thing tragic, which isn’t the complete picture or essence.— Kathy was coming north when I arrived home, walking both dogs. Presently she stopped, cupped her mouth, and called the name of her cat a few times. Olly has a wanderlust. 

Let’s discuss development. Development implies progress.

• Avoiding development doesn’t speed it up.
• Denying it doesn’t stop it.
• Delaying it doesn’t slow it down.

Why? Development is essential.

The things that we avoid don’t move; we do.

I’ve tried to avoid, delay, or deny development, but it continues.

Scripture says that many are the plans of a person’s heart, but God’s purpose prevails.

Learning from development, whether I agree or not, is inevitable. All experiences are opportunities to learn.

So, what’s the point?

You can resist development, but you’re in the process. Enjoy the process.

Development is not experienced alone.

The most beautiful experiences are often shared, and the greatest connections are often over shared experiences during development. 

Becoming the best person involves allowing others to help shape us. While some parts of development are private, much is shared. Authenticity strengthens our connections.

But the truest connections correct and shape us. In love, they urge us toward our best selves by teaching us to unlearn painful particulars that keep us stuck and to be brave enough in the parts that propel us.

Gratitude is necessary.

I’m grateful for those who’ve helped me develop. I’ve learned that connection requires the courage to confront yourself…and it becomes purposeful when done with others.

Be encouraged. You haven’t seen the fully developed picture yet, and one day, you’ll understand how and why it looks the way it does.  

Columbus, Ohio (8-13-26) – Today, Ohio Credit Union League President Paul Mercer released the following statement after the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions (ODFI) confirmed that Hicksville Bank has the authority to sell its assets to Interra Credit Union. While the final approval of the purchase is still pending, ODFI’s decision confirms what the Ohio Credit Union League has said all along: credit union purchases of bank assets are legal and permitted in Ohio.

“The decision from ODFI represents a meaningful win for the community of Hicksville and for local residents. Interra Credit Union will provide the Hicksville community with the same level of financial service and community investment they have come to expect, while also maintaining jobs and keeping members’ money local. The fact that the Bank Lobby in Columbus has already decided to resort to attacks on impartial decision makers only underscores the weakness of their position. Any attempts by outside actors to delay or obstruct the process would only serve the interests of a few while actively burdening the Hicksville community and local residents in pursuit of a purely political agenda.”    

The decision by Hicksville Bank to sell to Interra Credit Union was strictly voluntary. The Board of Hicksville Bank chose to do so because shareholders recognize the important benefits credit unions provide to their members.

Credit union purchases of banks are nothing new, including here in Ohio, where a credit union purchased bank assets in 2019, including absorbing deposits, assets, and employees. This sale was approved by Ohio regulators.

This sale will ultimately benefit current customers who continue to have access to the financial services they need; the community that keeps a community-minded institution; and the local economy that keeps jobs and a local small business in operation.

Here’s what to have on hand:

• Water & food: One gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days, plus non-perishable food and a manual can opener
• Light & power: Flashlights, batteries, a weather radio, and fully charged phones/power banks
• First aid & meds: A basic first-aid kit and a 1-2 week supply of prescriptions
• Cash & documents: Small bills (ATMs may not work) and copies of ID, insurance, and medical records in a waterproof bag
• Vehicle & property: Full gas tank, vehicle parked on high ground, and outdoor furniture secured
• Pets: Food, water, and records for at least a week

Track the storm live with the National Weather Service Honolulu radar: Hawaii Weather Radar Loops

Stay safe out there, Maui.

God’s words often replay in my mind… on rewind connected with a melody of song… Today and every day He is the God Who Stays… The God Who Forgives. The God Who Redeems. I felt every word of this song East to West last night personally…. So many struggles… the drowning… the longing… the echoes of my mind…remembering the chains of the past…. The sadness…the overwhelming losses. And then I woke up thinking the words East to West… I Was and I Am Forgiven. So, I listened to the song for the first time in months… Maybe longer. It reminds me that the woman I was will never be again as

I Am A New Creation In Christ.

I Am Crucified With Christ

So That It’s Not I That Live But Christ In Me.

That fear of sin returning… or making mistakes… can be surrendered to the nail-pierced hands of The Son of God Jesus Christ. That sin was surrendered when I laid myself down in His Blood for the remission of my sin.

I Am Buried With Him In Death, Risen To Walk In New Life

Let me remind you: There is a purpose for pain that will slowly reveal itself. There is a grace that covers and there is protection from past mistakes by not looking back …. Press Ahead…. Run the Race Forward…. There is no going back. Process the Past but don’t forget your future. The rest of your life is ahead of you with a blank slate that already has written every promise of God available to you.

A Prayer for the Hurting

Jesus, can you show me mercy today? Peace today. Rest today. Thank you for holding on to me in the storm and always. Not by my strength but by your one nail-scarred hand to another. Lord, I feel crushed and broken hearted invade those spaces with your presence of restoring mercy. Thank You God For Your Mercy That Drew Me, Reached Me, Saved Me, And Held Me. Thank you God for your wisdom, your truth, your discernment. Continue Lord to give me vision to see the real battles, the real enemies of your Cross, and for my own wickedness I repent for that of my own heart and my own generation. Search me and cleanse me Lord of all unrighteousness. Use me for your will and your purposes in this generation. God, I repent for my generation the ones alive on this earth today. Lord save us from the evils of the Babylon of today’s evil backwards twisted culture. Lord I’m living by your Truth, Your Gospel: The One Paul Wrote Down, Your Words In The Bible. Lord, you are active Living Holy Spirit that will never go against your written words and are my life’s compass and guide plus nothing else… God thank you for saving me from my sins known and unknown. I repent continually of them all. Jesus, thank you for perfect peace and for your faithfulness to me. I won’t move until you speak… I’ll follow hard after you and you alone. Thank you God for your Love. Here I Am. Use me… I surrender it all for your Glory. Lord, I belong to you. Continually lead me to the cross and the Victory that provides. Thank you Jesus for your Love, Mercy, and Grace.

Amen in the Silence.

Amen in the Fire.

Amen in the Storm for you are with me.

Amen at all costs.

So Be It. God. Amen.

Take a moment to reflect on all I have said so far and then take a moment to listen to the Casting Crowns song East to West and the Matthew West song, The God Who Stays. If it feels like a hard or difficult season it’s ok to acknowledge reality but you must not lose sight of the Truth in your pain… and at all times, God is with you and He will Never Leave you, He will not abandon you. He is holding on to you… to Keep You. Let these thought bring you consolation and more importantly, Confidence in the Living Son of God Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 31:6 NASB95 – Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

Joshua 1:9 KJV – Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

New Creation In Christ,

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Ariana

(August 17, 2026)

Welcome to the neighborhood

“Why do we own so much shit?” Vanessa asks. She and her husband Mark are unloading taped boxes out of the back of a moving truck. A realtor sign in front of the lush green neighborhood reads S-O-L. Not sure where the “D” ended up.

“I know where the D is,” Mark said every time they arrived at the house.

“This is what I get for marrying a frat boy” Vanessa always retorted.

The joke lasted until day one of move-in day. Like most newlyweds moving into their first home together, the actual moving in part nearly led to divorce.

“You wanted to unload the whole storage shed in one shot,” Mark says to Vanessa.

“It saved us from having to pay another month in rent. Why keep it there when we have an entire house of our own to start with?”

“Just remember we agreed the garage will be used as a garage, not a storage unit,” Mark says.

Vanessa drops two boxes in front of him from the truck. “Aye, aye captain,” followed by a salute.

The houses along McArtor Road — a posh suburban hideaway nestled off the town of Woodfield — matched in architecture but followed a color scheme of the pastel rainbow. Mark and Vanessa’s is a bluish hue. None of the neighbors gawked or came out to see the new couple. Either they were working or didn’t care.

Mark considered the theories as he hauled three boxes into the three-bedroom home. Vanessa dropped another set of boxes off the back of the truck.

The couple called game on the unloading as night began. A sense of pride overcame them as they ordered pizza for the first time. The christening of the achievement lessened the stress of the move, as did the beer. Modelo for him, Michelob Ultra for her.

“To 1212 McArtor Road.” They toasted, clinking the beers together. They fell back into the couch staring at a blank wall. A yellow Post-It note its only decor, with TV written on it in all black.

“What should we watch? Vanessa asks.

“At this point our only option is the Twilight Zone,” Mark says.

Vanessa empty-handed, “turns on” the TV with an air remote. “Oh I’ve seen this one. They’re really on another planet and head off to Earth.”

“Wow, spoiler alert,” says Mark.

“Oh my bad.” They both giggle. Take another sip of beer.

The doorbell rings.

“Damn talk about delivery not Digiorno. That was fast,” Vanessa says. She carries her beer with her to the door. Through the window, a silhouette of two figures stands beyond it. She squints, lips flutter as she opens the door.

“Hi!” The woman on the porch says. She is flanked by a man, both close to their sixties. She wears a red dress to his dark suit and red tie.

“Hi, can I help you,” Vanessa asks. She nods to Mark to join her.

“We’re Patty and Mike, we live across the street. We were on our way out to dinner and wanted to stop in and say hello to our new neighbors,” says Patty.

“Oh, that is so sweet. I can’t remember the last time I felt neighborly. I’m Vanessa and this is my husband Mark.”

Mark pops in with an, “Hey Oh!” that lasts way longer than it should have. The joke landing flat not bringing anything out of the older couple. Patty peeks into the house a bit, scanning the inside.

“Did you need something,” Vanessa asks, catching onto the search.

“No dear, I was seeing if there were any children involved.”

“Nope, not us.”

“No yet anyway,” Mark says, earning an eye roll from his wife.

“Don’t you fret, Mike and I have been together thirty years and no kids. Been able to do what we’ve wanted the whole time. You ask me, they’re overrated,” Patty says with a smirk.

The young couple chuckles a bit but are fixated on Mike who has kept the same smirk the entire conversation. Patty sensing the stares gives him a nudge.

“Welcome to the neighborhood,” he says, extending a handshake to the young couple.

“Well we better get. So nice to meet some fresh faces in the neighborhood. It’s been a long time. Same old bats been living around here what feels like an eternity,” Patty says, drawing a laugh out of Mark. The couples exchange final handshakes before Patty puts her arm in Mike’s as they head off the porch.

“Well that was fun,” Mark says as Vanessa shuts the door. He plops back onto the couch and “unpauses” the TV with the air remote.

“They were nice. When was the last time you had neighbors do that?”

“Shit, probably not since I was a kid.”

Vanessa floats on her toes to the kitchen, arms stretched like a ballerina. “I really think we’re gonna like it here.”

The sun nears hiding from the horizon for the day. Vanessa and Mark are beading sweat. They carry folded boxes to the green recycle receptacle next to their mailbox that bears 1-2-1-2 stickers on it. Mark opens the lid and Vanessa drops in her boxes, then he follows. They retreat into the house each letting out a sigh.

“We are officially done moving,” Mark says.

Vanessa face plants onto the couch. The wall which held the Post-It has been replaced by the TV, two shelves filled with DVDs and Blu-Rays on each side. Mark slaps her on the ass. She lifts up her legs at the knee to allow Mark to sit. Her legs drape over him.

“What do you want to do for dinner,” Mark asks.

She responds but her face remains on the couch, muffling the words.

“Wanna run that by me again?”

Vanessa faces the TV, “I don’t care what do you want?”

“I can grill some chicken if you wanna make the salad?”

“Sounds good.” Vanessa returns her face to the couch.

Dinners finishing touches met, Mark carries in two iced teas with lemon wedges to the four-person dining room table. The sweat long gone from the young couple as the plates have been set ready for devouring.

Vanessa stretches above her head, her hair a matted mess. The grilled chicken sinks into her nostrils, lighting up her senses. Mark sits across from her Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale-style, minus the enormously long table, certainly able to pass the salt in one reach.

Forks hit the salads in time for the doorbell to ring.

“Now who the hell can that be,” Mark asks, his fork hitting the plate as he gets up for the door.

Patty and Mike are on the other side of the door. Dressed in the same attire as the night before, only this time Patty holds a casserole dish in her arms.

“Hey neighbors, I’m sure you’ve eaten this late but I’d like to officially welcome you to the neighborhood with my Woodfield Famous tater-tot casserole. My trick is using four different melted cheeses but you have to guess which ones,” says Patty.

Mike’s face relaxes into resting weird face which is worse than the thirty-minute smirk and much creepier.

“That’s uh, so thoughtful of you. Hey babe, Patty and Mike are here,” Mark says. She joins him at the hip.

“Hey folks how are you,” Vanessa asks the older couple.

“Hello dear. Just wanted to get you officially welcomed into the neighborhood,” Patty says.

Vanessa reaches for the casserole dish but Patty pulls away.

“No, no dear, this is still hot. You’ll have to invite us in to get it into your oven to keep warm.”

The young couple trades defeated looks.

“Come on in,” Mark says. The sweet smell of freshly melted cheese wafts past them as Patty brings in the dish followed by her puppy Mike. Mike’s smirk returns to his face as he crosses the threshold.

Vanessa lets down her hair only to pull it back up into a tighter ponytail as they follow the older couple into the kitchen.

“I’ll have to apologize as I make my way around. All these damn houses are laid out exactly the same,” Patty says.

Mark races ahead to open the oven for her.

“Oh you did have dinner already made. Oh well,” Patty says, putting the casserole dish into the oven. “Now you get this back to me whenever you can. Believe me I have plenty.

“This is very kind of you, thank you so much,” Vanessa says, standing at the dining room table.

Mike stations himself in front of Vanessa, the smirk still placed on his face.

“You kids enjoy yourselves now you hear,” Patty says.

“Will do,” says Mark.

Vanessa smiles back at Mike. His smirk widens. She sees his teeth. As the white’s hit her eyes, fangs drop in the front of his mouth. He hisses.

“What the fuck!” Vanessa yells, her eyes widened.

Mike leaps at her, biting into her neck. Mark lunges towards Mark. Patty with one-hand, shoves him back into the wall like a pitcher with a ninety-nine mile an hour fastball. The wall crumbles around him.

Mark gathers his senses. Patty stands over him, her eyes reddened, fangs in front of her mouth. Mike slurps on the crimson nectar spewing from Vanessa’s neck as Mark can only watch.

Patty grabs Mark by the neck, her grip like Francis Ngannou from the UFC. She pulls him up over head. His feet kick but with no force to do any damage.

“Welcome to the neighborhood,” Patty says. She brings him in close and bites his neck.

Night turns to day, turns to night.

Patty and Mike leave their new neighbors house, casserole dish in hand.

“They’ll be a lovely couple,” Patty says.”Just like us.”

Mike nods in agreement.

You know the drill, gotta pay some bills. Subscribe, Share and if you want to be really cool, you can Buy Me A Coffee, Here.

I enjoy creating arrangements of books here where I write, and where I read in my study (and watch the light and seasons).

So instead of dinner, time to read from different books by different authors each week.

Two examples are Luci Shaw and Ted Kooser.

And Jan Karon founded The Mitford Museum & Discovery Center North Carolina’s Newest Literary Landmark.

B eautiful way to
O pen hearts and
O pen minds to
K now new stories and
S ongs

BOOKS

Which author would you love to have dinner with?

I’m not sure I’d survive the dinner but I’d make a valiant effort to get through it.

Being in the orbit of Hunter S. Thompson, in any way during his run on this Earth, would have been the Holy Grail of life altering experiences. Whether that ended up a good thing or a bad thing, I’ll never know.

I first learned of the good doctor back in high school. The Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas movie had come out and since I was a die hard Johnny Depp fan, I had to see it knowing nothing of its source material.

Long story short, I have since accumulated nearly all his books, have chatted briefly with Anita, have a gonzo tattoo, and became a journalist for 11 years.

I’m sober now but if this schedule still held up, I’d skip a few of the appetizers.

As for the living, I would be hard pressed not to select my buddy Shawn Cosby.

We have talked over the years online and he’s become a mentor to me and one of the coolest dudes out there. I’d have to have that sit down to shoot the shit for sure.

What does it take to create a university where everyone has a better understanding of dementia?

At the University of Worcester, that question has inspired an exciting piece of work to develop a new dementia awareness course for students and staff. Led by us here at the Association for Dementia Studies (ADS), the initiative recognises a simple reality: dementia touches far more lives than we often realise.

Many students and staff will have a friend, relative, neighbour or colleague living with dementia. Others may be supporting someone in a caring role. Some may be in the early stages themselves. Yet, despite dementia being such a significant part of modern society, there has not previously been a consistent way of ensuring that everyone across the university develops a core understanding of it. Our hope is that developing a short online course will help the university community to become more dementia-aware.

Rather than designing a course behind closed doors, the ADS team chose a co-production approach. An initial survey of staff and students showed strong support for the idea at the university and helped identify the topics people felt were most important. From there, a steering group was formed, bringing together students, staff and people with lived experience of dementia.

Their message was clear: keep things practical, relevant and easy to understand. Avoid overwhelming learners with information, steer clear of jargon and make the course flexible enough for people to explore topics at their own pace. The group also highlighted the importance of recognising carers, challenging stereotypes and showing that dementia is about more than memory loss.

Students involved in the group spoke passionately about wanting to reduce stigma, support carers and help create more compassionate communities. Many felt that greater awareness would not only benefit healthcare students on placement but would also help all students better understand the experiences of people around them.

The overall aim is straightforward but ambitious: to help create a dementia-aware and supportive university community. The course will increase awareness, challenge common misconceptions and signpost people to sources of help and support.

The first version of the online course has now been completed and shared with the steering group for feedback. Following further refinements, it will be launched across the university later this year, with ongoing evaluation helping to ensure it continues to meet the needs of learners.

Ultimately, this work is about one simple question: if dementia were to affect someone you love, how would you want them to be treated? The answer could help shape a kinder, more understanding community for everyone.

Connect with ADS on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, Bluesky and Twitter. 

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Alicia Winter
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