by Harley Schlanger, LaRouche Organization: Four years ago, NATO provoked President Putin into launching a Special Military Operation to defend the national security of Russia. After four years, NATO refuses to accept the reality that their war cannot succeed, and they will be unable to defeat Russia, as a prelude to looting its raw materials. […]

Walk through Times Square in New York City, and you can’t miss it. The place just screams pleasure. The lights. The noise. The people. It’s a stimulation overload. Crowds go there to be entertained. And why not? After all, Times Square represents the happiness-seeking passion of the United States, a nation founded on the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s in the founding DNA; it’s in the lifeblood of Western culture that we have the right to pursue pleasure on our own terms. If you ask most Westerners what they want for their children, they’ll immediately tell you they want their kids to be happy. What better goal could there be? Is Happiness the Best Goal? This is the storyline we’ve been given, but it falls short for several reasons. The first is hedonic adaptation. What’s that? Think of it this way. When you wake up in the morning and you have your first cup of coffee, you get that wonderful buzz. But if you have another later in the morning, there’s less buzz. Then, if you have a third cup in the afternoon, there’s no buzz. What’s happened? You’ve adapted to the coffee. You’ve gotten numb to it. It’s the same with happiness. No matter how much we stimulate ourselves with pleasure, we become numb to whatever has made us happy. Happiness studies show that whatever makes us happy—a new job, a new car, or a new romantic partner—gives us an initial burst of pleasure. But that burst of happiness lasts one or two years (if we’re lucky) before we’re back to where we started. We just get numb again. You see it in the New York tourists. When they first arrive at Times Square, their eyes light up. They’re so happy; they jump, clap, and laugh. They take selfies and upload them on social media. They say, “Look at me. Look at how happy I am!” Then, after a while, they stop and think, “Huh, is this all there is?” They become numb to it all and walk away. Another reason the happiness story falls short is what we call the hedonic fallacy. This principle says that just by chasing happiness, you’re guaranteed not to find it. That’s because happiness is ephemeral; it’s always the by-product of something else. Chasing happiness is like chasing the rainbow. The rainbow always fades before you find it because it’s only a by-product of the sun. If you want to find a rainbow, perhaps you should be chasing the sun instead. Something Better than Happiness In a National Public Radio interview, a woman commented on parents who tell their children they just want them to be happy: Be happy. I mean, if your parents tell you to get a job and make a certain amount of money, you know when you’ve achieved those things. But be happy? How are you supposed to know? It just makes you constantly question. Am I happy? How about now? Am I happy now? She described how chasing happiness trips us up. But if running after happiness doesn’t make us happy, what should we be chasing? In Luke 9:23–25 (NIV), Jesus says, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Jesus says, “Chase me,” and he doesn’t promise us happiness. He says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” Pursuing Christ entails sacrifice, even hardship. Why would we want to do that? Because studies show that suffering, if it’s purposeful, will make us better people. No matter how much we stimulate ourselves with pleasure, we become numb to whatever has made us happy. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, tells a story of two women. One woman is born beautiful and rich, but at the end of her life when she thinks of all the money, parties, and flirting, she realizes she had no purpose. Because she was self-absorbed, she dies empty and unfulfilled. A second woman gives birth to a child with profound disabilities, and she has to care for this child her entire life. It’s a hardship, and she struggles to understand the purpose in it. But when she looks back at her life, she says, “My life is full of meaning. . . . I have done my best—I have done the best for my son. My life was no failure!” This woman ends her days fulfilled, because she lived for the sake of another. She lived for a story bigger than her own. If we only live for ourselves, we’ll end up bent, curved in on ourselves, twisted, broken, and distorted. This is what the Bible calls “sin”—to fall short of the glory God designed us for (Rom. 3:23), to turn our backs on God’s bigger story for us. That’s why Jesus says, “Follow me.” He wants to be the big story we live for—not just as the model for how to live but as the One who opens the door to God’s great story for us by paying the penalty for our sin and giving us his new life. God’s Bigger Story for Us Imagine going to New York City but only seeing Times Square. That would be sad, because there’s so much more to New York. For example, you could see the Statue of Liberty with its story of freedom. There are museums with stories of art, culture, and creativity. If we chase happiness, we won’t find it. But if we chase the Son, he’ll fulfill us, and we just might find happiness along the way. But imagine if you had a reason to be in Times Square—a purpose or calling that took you there. Perhaps to see a friend, to demonstrate for a just cause, or to serve others and make a difference. Now you have a bigger story. Jesus says, “Follow me.” Surrender to his bigger story for your life. Live for Jesus, and bring his love, mercy, and justice to this planet. Yes, there will be suffering. Yes, there will be hardships. Yes, there will be sacrifice. We may lose our lives, but we’ll gain so much more. That’s the irony. By chasing rainbows, we won’t find them. But if we chase the sun, we’ll find rainbows. It’s the same with happiness. If we chase happiness, we won’t find it. But if we chase the Son, he’ll fulfill us, and we just might find happiness along the way.

My first job in ministry was working for a large summer day camp that averaged close to a thousand campers a week. Naturally, that involved a lot of planning, hiring, leading, and troubleshooting. As I ministered, older men in my life began to notice my strengths were all pastoral—teaching, shepherding, mentoring, and leading. So I went to seminary, and slowly my managers began to reduce my operational responsibilities and move me more and more into the pastoral areas of camp ministry. Eventually, I took a job as an associate pastor. I was hired for my pastoral gifts, but I took note of operational areas where the church needed help. Though I’d left camp ministry to focus on shepherding, it now seemed God had brought me to the church to share my operational gifts. Would I still be able to use my pastoral gifting? Balance Call and Job Description If you’re an executive pastor, or an associate pastor who spends significant time managing staff, budgets, and ministry plans, I’m certain you’ve felt the tension between God’s call to shepherd and the specifics of your role as an executive leader. Knowing how to properly spend your time can feel disorienting, because your call demands one set of skills while your job description demands another. A job description lists the responsibilities your church pays you for. When you’re in an executive role, it’s often tailored to your unique talents and experience. But your call—felt internally and confirmed by your church—is like every other pastor’s call: to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (1 Pet. 5:2). Executive pastor, don’t lose sight of your call amid the demands of your job. Your call comes from Scripture. Often, the details of your job description don’t. Moreover, remembering your call helps you fight burnout. You experience the joy of exercising your spiritual gifts when you’re locked in on your call. So don’t let it get overshadowed by your giant to-do list. Give shepherding your time and energy. To help you remember your call, I’ll outline some primary responsibilities Scripture gives to pastors. Then I’ll provide self-assessment questions to help executive pastors like you prioritize these responsibilities. 1. Preach and teach. Paul tells Timothy, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). You may be an executive, but you’re still a pastor. So don’t lose sight of the God-given responsibility you have to teach and preach. You experience the joy of exercising your spiritual gifts when you’re locked in on your call. So don’t let it get overshadowed. Whether you’re preparing for a one-on-one meeting, a staff meeting, or a group on Sunday, you need to stay sharp in your biblical and theological thinking. Don’t hesitate to set aside the time and resources needed to ensure you do. Here are some self-evaluation questions: Am I abiding in Christ and growing in my ability to communicate truth—to explain and proclaim God’s Word? Do I have time in my work schedule set aside to study God’s Word? Do my staff need any specific training from the Word to help them better understand their work? Do I have a book budget? What false ideologies are a threat to our church, and what can I do to help guard against them? 2. Equip your people. Executive leaders are often operator types who can get a lot done on their own. But as a pastor, you’re called to empower others to use their gifts. This means more than delegating responsibilities. God has called you to disciple through equipping. As Paul writes, “[Christ] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–12). Ask these questions to assess your equipping work: Am I empowering others, or am I trying to do it all myself? Are there programs or initiatives for which we need to train more lay leaders? Whom can I take along with me to a meeting or two this week so he or she can simply observe and learn? Do I have a group of men I’m discipling? 3. Shepherd your people through Word and prayer. Like the apostles, we pastors must “devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). There’s a formal, preaching-and-teaching reason for this devotion (as I’ve described above), but we also have informal shepherding responsibilities that require such devotion. Executive leaders must schedule opportunities to be with the men of our churches without an operational agenda—not to recruit them, close the loop on a decision, or address a pressing issue but to hear what God is doing in their lives and to minister to them. If you’re weak in this area, ask questions like these: How often do I stop to pray for someone I’m meeting with? Have I ever adjusted a meeting agenda to care for the person I’m meeting with instead? Am I setting agenda-free meetings with the men in our church to hear about their world so I can pray for them and encourage them in the Word? How often have I asked for more time on a decision so we can pray about it? Is studying God’s Word and praying regularly part of my job description? Do I include these responsibilities in the job descriptions of the ministers I lead? Is my pace slow enough that I don’t blow past people who are searching or hurting? Would my staff team say I’m led by God through his Word, or do they only see my gifts and effort? 4. Keep a close watch on your life and doctrine. We’ve all seen stories of admired men who faltered in ministry because of a moral failure. Those stories remind us that we all need accountability. As Paul says, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this” (1 Tim. 4:16). To keep a close watch on your life, consider the following: Are there men in my life who know all the corners of my thoughts? Are there men who know all the corners of my family life? Have I given my wife a list of men to go to if she has concerns about my health, spiritually or otherwise? Am I being appropriately honest and vulnerable with my staff team? Who in my life will speak honestly to me if they see something off? Are you fulfilling your call to be a pastor or merely accomplishing your job description? Writing this article has been convicting for me. I want to go back and sit with these questions longer, and I want to make plans to address the gaps they’ve revealed. Are you fulfilling your call to be a pastor or merely accomplishing your job description? I hope these questions are less convicting and more freeing and refreshing for you. Remember, executive pastor, you’re not only allowed to engage in pastoral pursuits at work; you can’t fulfill your call without doing so. Slow down and consider your call, and if you’ve been neglecting it, reengage what you first loved about ministry. You’re a pastor. No matter what the job description says, be faithful to your calling, and enjoy it.

This year, the left was more deliberate in counterprogramming President Trump’s State of the Union address. Over 70 Democrat Members of Congress chose not to attend, going instead to one of several alternate events where attendees would gather and spit bile about how much America sucks, in their opinion. One of those events was headlined by Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro. Watch as De Niro asserts that America is hard to love these days: Robert De Niro, speaking at the Resistance™ counterprogramming event, admitting he chokes on expressions of love for America. "I choke on that phrase, “we all love our country.” Because our country isn't so lovable right now. In the current climate, declaring love for our… pic.twitter.com/Df285ZOycx — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) February 25, 2026 ROBERT DE NIRO: The letter also included a statement about how our First Amendment rights transcend politics, other- other beliefs. That part began: “regardless of our political affiliation or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country”. I choke on that phrase, “we all love our country.” Because our country isn't so lovable right now. In the current climate, declaring love for our country is like an abused spouse professing love for their abuser. I've never thought of citizenship as being an act of love. I've tried to be a good citizen. I pay my taxes, vote, obey the law, recycle, stay within the speed limit. Most of the time, not always. In return, I'm grateful for the opportunities and freedoms my family, my fellow citizens, my immigrant ancestors have enjoyed. But my heart is broken as I see them being taken away, both the freedoms and increasingly my fellow citizens.  I'm not going anywhere. This is my house, my home. But I have to tell you, I'm not too crazy about living in this dysfunctional relationship. Our country, as President Lincoln reminded us, is meant to be a government of the people by the people and for the people. The people. Tragically, we're now in a country of by and for a handful of dishonest, greedy, and cruel authoritarians. So- love our country?  Let me ask you: Can you love a country where our neighbors are shot down in the streets by masked government thugs? Can you love a country that denies healthcare for tens of millions of our fellow citizens? Can you love a country that ends contributions to sick and starving people around the world causing hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths, many of them innocent children? Can you love a country that trashes our economy to give tax break- tax breaks to its billionaire cronies? Can you love a country that denies science and sacrifices the climate, the very air our children breathe? Can you love a country that pardons violent criminals and protects pedophiles? I could go on and on and on and on.  The bottom line is that I feel betrayed by my country. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does need to return to the values that gave us our strength and humanity. There is an interesting juxtaposition here. On the one hand, you had multiple expressions of patriotism, buoyed by celebration of USA Hockey sweeping Olympic gold. There was honor given to our brave heroes, and an elevation of the American citizen.  On the other, you had a bitter expression of a collective nationalism that is conditioned solely upon the right people being in power. One is reminded of Michelle Obama finally being proud of America once her husband secured his party’s presidential nomination. This grotesque expression of conditional love for America was uttered at an event co-sponsored by a Soros-funded fake news outlet. As our own Joseph Vasquez pointed out:  In one of the most ironic plot twists, DEFIANCE listed fake news outfit Courier Newsroom as one of the event co-hosts, which became notorious for spreading mass amounts of false information in past elections to manipulate voters. Courier Newsroom has been fueled with at least $20 million between 2021 and 2023 alone by Soros, emphasizing the leftist billionaire’s vested interest in the group’s antics.  This event served little purpose other than to platform performative resistance for its own sake, and De Niro’s remarks fit right in. We say these things with all respect for his right to speak freely, which is something to be cherished in America, which we love all the time. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of Robert De Niro’s speech as delivered at the Defiance “State of the Swamp” event on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026: ROBERT De NIRO: Thank you, everybody. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Miles. 5 months ago- 5 months ago, the ACLU asked me to sign a letter supporting Jimmy Kimmel when he was taken off the air by the Trump administration's censorship and ABC’s complicity. The letter began: We, the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech, strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country. 100%. I'm passionate about free speech and a huge supporter of the ACLU.  So along with nearly 500 other actors, directors, musicians and more than 50,000 ACLU supporters, of course I signed the letter. The letter also included a statement about how our First Amendment rights transcend politics, other- other beliefs. That part began: “regardless of our political affiliation or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country”. I choke on that phrase, “we all love our country.” Because our country isn't so lovable right now. In the current climate, declaring love for our country is like an abused spouse professing love for their abuser. I've never thought of citizenship as being an act of love. I've tried to be a good citizen. I pay my taxes, vote, obey the law, recycle, stay within the speed limit. Most of the time, not always. In return, I'm grateful for the opportunities and freedoms my family, my fellow citizens, my immigrant ancestors have enjoyed. But my heart is broken as I see them being taken away, both the freedoms and increasingly my fellow citizens.  I'm not going anywhere. This is my house, my home. But I have to tell you, I'm not too crazy about living in this dysfunctional relationship. Our country, as President Lincoln reminded us, is meant to be a government of the people by the people and for the people. The people. Tragically, we're now in a country of by and for a handful of dishonest, greedy, and cruel authoritarians. So- love our country?  Let me ask you: Can you love a country where our neighbors are shot down in the streets by masked government thugs? Can you love a country that denies healthcare for tens of millions of our fellow citizens? Can you love a country that ends contributions to sick and starving people around the world causing hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths, many of them innocent children? Can you love a country that trashes our economy to give tax break- tax breaks to its billionaire cronies? Can you love a country that denies science and sacrifices the climate, the very air our children breathe? Can you love a country that pardons violent criminals and protects pedophiles? I could go on and on and on and on.  The bottom line is that I feel betrayed by my country. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does need to return to the values that gave us our strength and humanity. And turn its back on the daily atrocities of the Trump regime and their enablers. Despite the theme tonight, I didn't come here to talk about the State of the Union. That's too depressing. And, and right now I'm more concerned about what the State of the Union will be in November. Because a failing, flailing, and desperate Donald Trump is even- even more dangerous than the tyrant we've already experienced. There is no doubt in my mind, and I'm sure in most of our mind-. that he will use every resource and power in his command to stop from losing power in the midterm elections. I won't list the ways because we don't know all the ways he'll try to steal the election. Remember that this guy tried to overthrow the government by violently attacking the Capitol on January 6th. Who saw that coming? And that was just a rehearsal for what's likely to come. Who's going to stop him? Yes! Who is going to stop him? We the People because we are the only ones who can stop him. Like you, I'm filled with anger and outrage. but I'm saved from total despair by rays of hope. and I am very careful these days about using the word hope because I've seen so many of our hopes for our country destroyed. but there's no reason to think we're not up to the challenge. We have a solid first line of defense with organizations like Defiance.org. We have judges whose courtrooms have been corrupted haven't been corrupted. haven't been corrupted. And then most importantly, there's us the people We saw what can be accomplished in the example of the courageous people of Minneapolis. in the face of deadly attacks by Trump's private army. They stood up to threats and violence and literally ran their asses out of the- out of town. Mayor Frey, congratulations to you and your people. Inspiring and I'm also inspired by the No King' demonstrations. Millions of people all over the country gathered together to nonviolently demand democracy. The next rally is March 28th. If you've ever loved your country, this is a time to show it. This is our wake-up call. We don't know everything this authoritarian president and the stooges have in mind, but we know something is coming. and if you want our leaders to be accountable if you're devoted to the Constitution and the rule of law. If you want the United States of America to be worthy of your love, be ready to take this- to the streets together, and we will take our country back. Thank you.  

A rare imitation of a Carolingian gold coin worn as a pendant likely by a soldier in the Viking Great Army that invaded England in 865 A.D. has been discovered in Norfolk. This type of coin was made in workshops in Frisia (today part of the Netherlands) and all 22 of these imitation solidi found in Britain have been found along the route of the Great Army. The one found in Norfolk is a relatively high quality example. The coin is an imitation of a gold solidus of Louis the Pious (r. 814-840), son of Charlemagne, minted around 816 when he was crowned Holy Roman Empire. It is considered one of the finest of all Carolingian coins and one of the rarest, with only four confirmed examples recorded. The draped and laureate bust of Louis on the obverse is inspired by ancient Roman issues, like this 335 A.D. solidus of Constantine I. The inscription of the obverse is DN HLVDOVVICVS IMP ΛVG (meaning “Our Lord Louis August Emperor” an imperial Roman style); the reverse inscription is MVNVS DIVINVM (“Divine Gift”), referring to the wreath/crown or to the cross inside of it. The Frisian imitations were made much later than the originals. Most of the examples have been found in coin hoards dating to the 870s-880s, and they are very rough with crude outline portrait busts and chicken scratch inscriptions that barely have discernible letters. The earliest examples found in hoards deposited in the 840s and 850s are of notably higher quality. The Norfolk find falls into the latter category. It is worn, but you can see that the portrait bust captures Louis’ straight, long nose, laurel wreath, moustache and prominent chin. The inscription is also close to the original, reading “DNI HVVD [O] VS H IM AVG.” The reverse get even closer to the inscription: “C MVNVS DIVINVM IS.” The superfluous C and S are misinterpretations of the ties on the original coin’s wreath. The coin has a double piercing above the head on the obverse, one larger perforation with a smaller one below it and slightly to the side. Those holes are at the four o’clock position on the reverse, which shows it was worn with the obverse side facing the viewer. The coin pendant is currently going through the Treasure process but it’s a foregone conclusion because of its age and precious metal content. Once it is declared Treasure, the Norwich Castle Museum is hoping to acquire it.

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