How much of our lives do we actually spend in the present moment?

If we are honest, probably far less than we imagine. Part of us is often trapped somewhere in the past, replaying old conversations, old mistakes, old disappointments, old betrayals. Revisiting moments we wish had gone differently, carrying wounds that should have healed long ago.

The other part is already living in a future that does not yet exist. Worrying about what might happen, fearing losses that may never come, imagining scenarios that exist only in our minds.

And so we end up suffering twice; once from memory, once from imagination.

I think many of us on this journey are particularly susceptible to this trap.

We look back and wonder how humanity allowed itself to be deceived for so long. We think about the lies, the manipulation, the opportunities lost, the people we failed to wake up in time.

Then we look ahead and see the dangers that still remain. The systems being built, the freedoms under attack, the future others would like to impose upon us.

Without realizing it, we can become trapped between yesterday’s wounds and tomorrow’s fears. Yet neither place is where life exists.

The past can teach us, but we cannot live there. The future can inspire us, but we cannot live there either. Life is here, in this moment, in this breath, in this day that we have been given.

Perhaps one of the greatest acts of sovereignty is learning to reclaim the present moment from both memory and fear. To learn from the past without becoming its prisoner. To prepare for the future without becoming anxious about it.

To remain aware of what is happening in the world without allowing it to steal the peace, gratitude and wonder that are available to us right now. After all, the only place where we can create the future is the present.

And the only place where we can truly meet God is here and now.

Own your present day. Thank God for yesterday, today and a blessing of tomorrow coming.

H/T Q-Trekkie Next-Gen

@Brandenburg4Mi

Good morning!!

Let’s talk about waiting on the Lord. Most of us grew up learning that waiting on the Lord meant sitting back and saying “Jesus take the wheel.” But there is another meaning totally lost … waiting on the Lord being living in service to God. Waiting or serving Him FULL TIME. What an honor to serve the King of Kings!!!

So what does that look like and what does the Bible say?

Some mornings we wake up carrying heavy news. Dreams feel shattered, relationships are strained, families are hurting, communities seem divided, and the “walls” that once protected what we love are lying in ruins. The weight of it all can leave us overwhelmed, grieving, and unsure what to do next.
In the Bible, Nehemiah faced exactly this kind of moment. When he heard that Jerusalem’s walls were broken down, its gates burned, and its people living in shame and vulnerability, he didn’t pretend everything was fine. He wept. He mourned for days. He fasted and poured his heart out to God in honest, persistent prayer. He confessed the sins of his people and his own, and he asked the Lord for favor, strength, and guidance.
But here’s the powerful turning point: Nehemiah didn’t stay in fear, tears and sorrow.

After laying everything before God, he rose up with courage and took action. He stepped out in faith, faced opposition, gathered support, and led the rebuilding of those walls … even when enemies mocked and threatened him. What was broken was restored. What looked impossible became a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

Today, God is speaking to many of us in similar seasons. Your “broken walls” might be a struggling marriage, a wayward child, failing health, financial pressure, a wounded church, a dream that feels dead … or a broken country.

It’s okay to weep. It’s okay to feel the pain deeply. But don’t stop there.
Bring your brokenness to God in prayer … raw, honest, and persistent. Confess where needed. Ask for wisdom, favor, and supernatural strength. Then listen for His direction and be willing to rise and do the work He’s calling you to.
You don’t have to rebuild everything overnight. You just need to take the next faithful step. God will send the right people, open the right doors, and fight for you when opposition comes. The same God who empowered Nehemiah is the same God walking with you today.

Let this be our declaration this morning: “We will not stay stuck in despair. We will pray, We will rise, and with God’s help, we will help rebuild.”

Praying for fresh strength, divine favor, and restoration today.

We’ve got this because God’s got us.

I love you guys!

https://youtu.be/MIMBEEUdsXk

@Brandenburg4Mi

Happy Father’s Day!!

I remember being a child and going to church on Sunday. My Dad was an Elder (mom played the pipe organ) and they would ask all the Dad’s to go to the front of the church and acknowledge them for who they were. Amazing Dads!! Then they would all get a “honey bear.”

My Dad was always taking care of someone. He always seemed to know the right thing to say at the right time. He taught us how to shoot … and work … plant a garden … and love God.

In the busyness of life … Dad’s don’t realize the impact they leave on their families and the world. Much love for all the selfless brave papas out there!

@Brandenburg4Mi

What a great man! He was my best cheerleader.

Miss ya Dad

@Brandenburg4Mi

We all yearn for justice after the crimes that have wounded our communities and eroded trust.

But are we ready for what that looks like. Be honest … be spiritually prepared.

Drastic, necessary change must come … systems scrapped, accountability enforced, and a freer, fairer future forged. Yet even as we push forward, something ancient and deeply human tugs at us: the irresistible pull back toward the familiar.

The Bible gives us a stark warning in the story of Lot’s wife. As God prepared to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, angels urged Lot and his family to flee for their lives: “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away” (Genesis 19:17).

Lot and his daughters obeyed and pressed on. But his wife, trailing behind, “looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

It wasn’t merely a curious glance. The original language suggests she regarded or considered what she was leaving … longing for the life, comforts, and familiarity of a city steeped in corruption. Her heart remained tethered to the past even as judgment fell.

Jesus Himself later warned His followers in the context of sudden upheaval and the need for total commitment: “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32). Clinging to what must be left behind can cost everything.

This theme repeats throughout Scripture. The Israelites, freshly delivered from brutal slavery in Egypt, repeatedly longed for the “good old days” of bondage. They complained in the wilderness: “We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at” (Numbers 11:5–6). They conveniently forgot the oppression, the beatings, and the loss of freedom … romanticizing a past that had enslaved them. Their nostalgia nearly derailed the journey to the Promised Land.

Psychologically, this backward pull is not weakness; it’s how our minds are wired for survival.

Status quo bias makes the familiar feel safe, predictable, and even morally “right.” Our brains equate “known” with “secure,” so change … even positive, necessary change … registers as threat. This is often called the “moral force” of habit: the old way feels not just comfortable, but correct.

Fear of the unknown amplifies resistance. When we contemplate leaving behind old systems, relationships, or ways of thinking, anxiety spikes. What if the new path is harder? What if we fail? What if we lose more than we gain?

Nostalgia plays a powerful role too. In times of uncertainty or pain, we idealize the past, softening its harsh edges and magnifying its comforts. Research shows nostalgia can provide short-term emotional relief and a sense of continuity, but when it becomes a default response to change, it anchors us to what was rather than propelling us toward what could be. We rewrite history in our minds, forgetting the very injustices or dysfunctions that made transformation essential.

Loss aversion (a core insight from behavioral economics) means losses loom larger than equivalent gains. We overvalue what we’re leaving behind … the familiar routines, the known (even if flawed) power structures, the relationships or comforts tied to the old order … and undervalue the potential of a better future. This keeps individuals, organizations, and societies stuck in cycles of dysfunction.

The result? We “die on the vine.” We long for freedom and justice yet sabotage our own progress by glancing backward. Old patterns of complicity, denial, or complacency reassert themselves. Pain fades with time, memory softens, and the familiar regains its seductive glow. Before long, we find ourselves defending or returning to elements of the very systems that caused harm … because they feel normal.

True forward momentum requires conscious resistance to these forces. It means fixing our eyes ahead, even when the path is uncertain or costly.

https://t.me/Brandenburg4MI/12769

Part 2

It means building new structures, habits, and relationships that embody the justice and freedom we claim to want. It means refusing to be pulled back into what once felt safe but ultimately kept us bound.

We cannot serve two masters … the past and the future. We cannot fully embrace transformation while keeping one hand on the door of what must be left behind.
The better future is not behind us. It waits for those willing to keep walking, keep building, and keep refusing the backward glance.

Eyes forward. Hearts committed. Justice pursued with unwavering momentum.

@Brandenburg4Mi

Morning Bread!!

Wouldn’t it be better to go back to living in the real world?

Eating real food? Waking up to fresh bread made by people who actually love you … just because you are precious to them?

@Brandenburg4Mi

With great conviction …

“Young Washington” is the best movie I have ever seen.

William Franklin-Miller in the picture plays the young George Washington. Produced by John Erwin. (His mother Sheila and father Hank are wonderful)

We went to the world premiere and met the actors, producers and crew. This unapologetically committed Christian organization is working to show the true bravery and honor that it took to build America and the same bravery and honor that still exists in the hearts of patriots.

The movie is available July 2.

Bring everyone you know!!!! You will leave so proud to be an America ready to celebrate the 250 anniversary of America … and ready to fight unapologetically for what we love.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/angel-stream-tv-movies/id1473663873?eventid=6766349065

@Brandenburg4Mi

Good morning

This morning, I saw something I’ve never seen before … a fight between a bald eagle and an osprey. The size of the eagle absolutely dwarfed the osprey.

I’m pondering the similarities between True patriots in service to God and man versus the insignificance of people who just serve themselves.

True patriots are impressive. Their selfless impact on the world is big. It is enduring and can be seen dwarfing the achievements of those who just create noise or motion … or are crippled by ego.

Interesting how God sometimes uses illustrations from the material world to start spiritual conversations with us.

Ask God for wisdom and discernment … He will be guide you in all things. He is with you always.

@Brandenburg4Mi

Overcome darkness with light!! Start the day out with praise and worship of God’s goodness dwarfs the darkness which we are constantly subjected to!!!

God’s presence and goodness is surrounding us. He is protecting us from evil … we have to focus on doing good works without expectation of rewards. That is evidence of love for God. If we do good works to receive rewards … we reduce the relationship with God to a cold selfish contract which screams … using God.

Love without conditions.
Serve without limitations.
Sacrifice with joy

Only then will you find what your heart desires. Anything less will leave you empty.

https://youtu.be/rXs8-ZIgTOw

@Brandenburg4Mi

Good morning !

Ready to take on the toughest challenge in your life? Stand for God with no compromise. Stand together as one family under God!!!

On a call yesterday, I watched someone go from light to dark … abandoning their stated principles…. while being dragged down by his fears. It was so sad.

The cries of “I’m a realist” were shouted to justify his lack of guts to stand up with evil. He justified standing with criminals.

Let’s be clear!!!
Anything is possible with God!!!

Turning your back on Satan like Jesus did and refusing to be manipulated into supporting the narrative of compromise with lawlessness or evil … is a GLORIOUS defining moment!

It’s easy to justify compromise with evil when you fear it. But when turning your back on evil, and following God becomes your natural MO, you experience true freedom from the bondage of sin and death.

We don’t negotiate with evil!!!

The lesser of two evils is still evil. The only reason why people continue to tolerate evil .. and follow directions of evil … is because they are driven by fear. The narrative created by fear is a true sign that they have no trust in God.

Raising the dead … do you believe that God did restored life to the dead?

Do you believe that God can raise a nation from the doorstep of the death of that nation. Consider every evil action that we have seen … including but not limited to …

1. killing its own people with an injected chemical weapon o fight a “virus”, which they also engineered.
2. Government sanctioned and funded human and child trafficking.
3. Theft of our labor through unconstitutional taxation.

… the list goes on.

Filling your mind for the word of God drowns out the lies.

God has the ability to do more than what we ask … pray.

Anything is possible with God … he raised the dead back to life … he certainly can raise our nation and heal our people and our land.

https://too.fm/togetherwerise

@Brandenburg4Mi

In the darkest hours of our nation’s founding, General George Washington rode straight into the fury of battle. Musket balls tore through his coat, horses fell beneath him, and the enemy watched in stunned disbelief as he emerged untouched time after time.

He did not flinch. He did not retreat. Washington stood firm because he knew a greater purpose … & God’s hand … protected him. Today, the battlefield is different, but the call is the same. It is time for good men and women to step forward with that same fearless spirit.

We need you to run for office. Not merely to advance good ideas, but to occupy the seats so that bad actors cannot. Every open position filled by a principled patriot is one less seat available for those who would undermine our republic. When good people refuse to run, the opposition wins by default. When we stand up, we reclaim the ground for liberty.

The path has never been easier. We are not asking you to carry the full burden alone. We are doing this together as Americans.

https://open.substack.com/pub/donnabrandenburg/p/countdown-call-to-courage?r=2qnhrw&utm_medium=ios

https://ustpm.org/run

@Brandenburg4Mi

All too often we fall into the fear of being accepted, which is arguably the worst fear prison of the mind. That sounds like the case of the person on your call.

When you’re addicted to pleasing (ratio-ing) the social media audience, or the influential friend group, or the political constituency (I.e. the “highest bidders”), how many personal morals would you compromise and make victim to the peer pressure of their evils?

Holding your nose and voting for something you know is evil is still going along to get along and that’s an inescapable mental prison.

But you can escape it when you are the audience of Jesus Christ. Re-read His teachings as if you’re one of the people on the beach during the Multiplication or a throng being told one of Jesus’ parables.

You are not a monkey performer dancing to an organ box with a leash around your neck. Be yourself and when other folks don’t like it, then you’re finding your path.

H/T Q-Trekkie Next-Gen

@Brandenburg4Mi

Democrats: I’ll give you everything you want but it is going to cost someone else (and you eventually).

Republicans: I’ll give you everything you want but the more you want the more it’ll cost you. And I have to get my cut.

Constitutionalists: we will give you what the law outlines our duty to provide, at the best cost we can, so we only ask from you what is necessary. Anything else you want is on you but you get the freedom to decide how to use your resources.

H/T Q-Trekkie Next-Gen

@Brandenburg4Mi

Good morning!!!

Interesting … have you noticed who is running the most ads for office?

Who is funding them? It’s an illusion. It’s not who raises or spends the most money wins … it’s that the corporate and foreign countries give the most money to the puppets they expect favors from.

Big money flows heavily through politics, with candidates, parties, PACs, and outside groups all playing roles. Money raised from patriots is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things … the big money comes from dark money … which can’t be tracked easily.

Data as of late 2025/early 2026 filings:
Governor Race (open seat):
Jocelyn Benson (D): ~$5.96M raised, ~$3.53M spent
Mike Cox (R): ~$5.1M raised, ~$1.1M spent (strong cash on hand)
John James (R): ~$4.49M raised
Others (Swanson, withdrawn candidates like Duggan/Gilchrist): $1M–$5M range

US Senate Race (Peters retiring, toss-up):
Haley Stevens (D): ~$8.87M raised, ~$5.48M spent
Mallory McMorrow (D): ~$8.62M raised, ~$4.93M spent
Abdul El-Sayed (D): ~$7.65M raised
Mike Rogers (R): ~$7.68M raised, ~$3.68M spent (solid cash reserves)

Statewide snapshot:
Over $143 million in total contributions tracked recently, with candidate committees and outside groups driving spending. Michigan is on pace for record ad spending (hundreds of millions projected across broadcast, digital, etc., including heavy outside group buys in Senate & governor races).

Pay to play … buy candidates … cut out the people …

Stop feeding or playing with the beast. Red or blue doesn’t matter … they are just agents of evil with a slick tongue full of empty promises and lies.

@Brandenburg4Mi

Didn’t have this on my
bingo card!

Europeans and international World Cup fans are discovering a side of America they never expected! 🇺🇸⚽

During the FIFA World Cup 2026, thousands of visitors from Europe and around the world are sharing their honest reactions after experiencing American hospitality, massive sports culture, friendly people, incredible food, and unforgettable moments across the United States.

From British visitors praising college sports to Scottish fans enjoying the warm welcome from locals, these genuine reactions are changing perceptions one video at a time.

TSA is having to issue instructions not to take a bottle of Ranch Dressing on a carry/on as they are wanting to bring America back home!!!!

God bless America … greatest country in the world.

Watch until the end!!

https://youtu.be/d3TlSOdzHVk?si=_CRcEhwN4YWulYEW

@Brandenburg4Mi