Silent No More
For many years now, I’ve had a very hard and fast rule on my blog. Don’t talk about current events, no matter how devastating they are. Allow this blog to be a space where people can get away from the noise of what’s going on in the world. Give people a respite, even if it’s just a few minutes each day, to get their minds off of the painful, heavy things that happen with regularity in the world around us, and provide just a few moments to disengage from the craziness that lies beyond the walls of our homes and focus on something frivolous, fun, entertaining, and maybe even a little bit educational before we have to walk out the doors of our homes and reengage in the reality around us.
Well, after the events of last week, something has shifted in me over the last few days. I still have no plans to turn this into a “current events” blog. I have no plans to use this space to comment on every bad and horrific thing that happens in the world. You can get plenty of that on every news platform and social media platform. No one needs me to add my thoughts to the chorus of voices. So when I say that something has shifted, that’s not quite what I mean. Let me explain.
For far too many years now, we’ve all seen the increase in hatred, division, and vitriol, not only online, but also playing out in the real world around us. And all of that seemed to reach a crescendo last week. On Monday, the news of the stabbing of Iryna Zarutska went national, and those images of her confused and terrified face as she looked up at her attacker still haunt me. Within 24 hours of that news breaking nationally, I had heard that the whole video of the attack was online, but I was determined that I wouldn’t watch it. The still images were enough to give me nightmares, and I wasn’t sure that my heart and mind could handle watching the entire video. So I purposefully avoided it.
And then on Wednesday, more bad news. But on Wednesday, it wasn’t just one news story. It seemed to come in a cascade. In the morning, as I was getting ready for the day, news broke about a man named Chandra Nagamallaiah literally being beheaded in front of his wife in the Dallas area. And it was over an argument over the use of a washing machine. I mean…WHAT? I didn’t go searching for pictures or videos because the images that my imagination conjured up over that story were horrific enough. And the heaviness in my heart over the thought of his wife witnessing that whole thing take place right in front of her was almost unbearable.
Then I went to lunch with my mom and brother, and while we were sitting there eating, I get another push notification from the local news station. Another school shooting, this time in Colorado. Two students injured. I sat there in disbelief at what a sick society we’ve become. But as you know, it wasn’t over for the day.
Within about two minutes, another push notification, and another act of violence. This time, the push notification read something like, “Well known conservative activist shot at university event.” I almost didn’t tap on that push notification for two reasons. First, my heart had already had enough for the day. Second, those push notifications are often click bait. So many times, I’ve gotten those push notifications saying something like, “Famous actress dead at 54,” only to click over to the article, read the name, and not have any clue who that person was. But my curiosity got the most of me.
I tapped that notification and read the first line. Charlie Kirk had been shot at one of his campus events. Charlie Kirk. Of course I knew who he was. If you follow politics at all and you’re anywhere right of center, you know who Charlie Kirk is. While I didn’t follow him online (his target audience was considerably younger than I am), he was everywhere. I couldn’t be on YouTube without seeing one of his videos over on the side. The podcasters I do listen to would mention his name with regularity and have him on as a guest from time to time. I was well aware of his campus events where all he wanted to do was talk and debate ideas. I had seen the massive crowds that would gather and the lines that would form with students waiting their turn to debate their position on an issue with Charlie.
But the article didn’t say where he had been shot or if he was still alive, so I clicked over to X, which is the place I go when I want up-to-the-minutes updates on any news story. His name was already trending by that point, so it was easy to scroll through posts, but no one seemed to have any details. It was all just, “Please pray for Charlie! He’s been shot!”
I continued to refresh and scroll to see if there were any updates. And then, without any warning at all, I scrolled upon the close-up video. It was right there, on my phone, automatically playing without allowing me to make the decision of whether or not I wanted to watch it. And within seconds, I saw something that I will never be able to get out of my mind.
In a reflex, I dropped my phone on the table, stood up, and started saying, “OH MY GOSH!! NO!! I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST SAW THAT!! I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST SAW THAT!” My mom and brother were understandably shocked and curious at my reaction, and I just said, “There’s no way he survives that. There’s no way a human can survive what I just saw.” And I just kept pacing back and forth saying, “I can’t believe I just saw that.” I wasn’t looking for a video. I didn’t want to see the video. Had I been given the option, I never would have clicked “play”, but I wasn’t given that option. And now, I will never be able to get that image out of my mind. That video has been playing on repeat in my mind since I saw it on Wednesday. I can’t get it out.
And I just imagine what it must have been like for those college-aged kids who were right there, up front in the crowd, who not only got a front-row seat to that horrific sight, but also experienced the terror of wondering if they were next. And then my thoughts immediately went to his wife. And then to his kids. Those kids would not only have to now grow up without their father, but they have to live in a world where the assassination of their father was captured clearly on video in graphic detail and now flooded the internet. They will eventually see that one day. The heaviness of all of that together was more than my heart could bear. I cried. Alot. I don’t know that I’ve ever cried tears over the death of someone I didn’t personally know, but the weight of all of that seemed unbearable.
But it wasn’t over. The response to that assassination was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and not from just a handful of insane people, but from thousands. The hatred, the vitriol, the TikToks and Instagram reels of people cheering, dancing, laughing, celebrating. It wasn’t coming only from stupid college students. It was coming from teachers, school administrators, college professors, doctors, nurses, business owners.
Honest to God, WHAT HAVE WE BECOME?? I’m not talking about having a difference of opinion here. I’m not talking about expressing disagreement with his positions on issues. I’m talking about celebrating the assassination of a 31-year-old husband and father to two young children — a man who only wanted to talk and debate ideas using words. Those celebrations come from sick and twisted minds. I don’t care what anyone thought about his words. Even if you found his words offensive, we do not live in a society where the punishment for offensive words is the death penalty. Only depraved, sick, and twisted minds would think otherwise. And we SHOULD not live in a society where teachers, college professors, doctors, and nurses can openly celebrate the assassination of another human being.
And as if the celebration wasn’t enough, by the end of the day, there were t-shirts being offered to memorialize the death. I’m not talking about the t-shirts being offered by TPUSA to honor Charlie Kirk’s life. I’m talking about this, posted by this woman Haley Kreidel who was a 911 operator in Nashville.
Yes, a 911 operator who people call during the most terrifying times of their lives and expect a compassionate voice on the other end of the line. She was fired for this. At this point, I’d guess that at least a thousand people have been fired from their jobs so far for stuff like this, and I’m here for it. Can you imagine trusting your health to a doctor who would openly celebrate the public assassination of another human being? Or sending your kids into a classroom to be taught by such a person? And all justified because that person said words that they didn’t like? These people should not only be fired, but they should be completely shamed and shunned from polite society.
I don’t want to hear the whataboutisms. We are far beyond that at this point. True evil has been on full display over the last few days, and I’m done being silent about it.
But here’s the deal. This is not a battle that can be fought in the political arena. What has been on display these last few days is a spiritual issue. A spiritual battle. I’ve watched more Charlie Kirk videos over these last few days that I have in all the years prior to his assassination. And the only thing he wanted to do was talk and debate ideas. When debating these college kids, he was kind but firm in his beliefs. I watched him speak to and answer questions from a transgender student, and he was kind and compassionate. I watched him speak with students who obviously hate him, but he remained calm.
I’ve heard so many people say that he was a terrible and divisive person, but I have yet to see any of that in the hours and hours of videos I’ve watched. Yes, he had his own positions on issues, and he was there to debate those issues, but he wasn’t unkind about it. The only time I ever saw him lose his temper wasn’t with a college student, it was with a peer, Cenk Uyger of The Young Turks. And let’s face it, Cenk has dished that out to others plenty of times over the years, so I give Charlie a pass on that one. But with college students, he was calm, compassionate, but firm on his stances. And that’s okay. It is okay for people to have differing opinions and ideas. Again, we don’t live in a country where the punishment for an opinion someone doesn’t like should be the death penalty.
But the most impressive thing I saw in these videos, something that I honestly didn’t know about Charlie Kirk until these last few days, was how bold he was about his faith. Charlie was a Christian, as I am. Charlie’s faith was in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as mine is. But Charlie spent his years boldly proclaiming that faith to college students. I’ve had a public platform for 17 years and, for the most part, have kept my faith to myself.
Well, no more. I don’t know if you can tell or if you have witnessed or felt it, but something has shifted in the air over the last few days. I can’t even count how many comments I’ve seen from people online from people saying things like, “I’ve been an atheist all my life, but because of this, I’ve read the Bible for the first time in my life.” Or, “I haven’t stepped foot inside a church in my entire life, but because of this, my family is going to church this Sunday.” I’ve personally seen hundreds of comments like that, and I don’t doubt that there are thousands and thousands more that I haven’t seen. Last night on Threads alone, I read at least a hundred of them, but they’re everywhere. I’ve never in my life seen a more tangible example of, “What Satan means for evil, God uses for good.”
So while I have no intention of turning this blog into one where I talk about politics or current events, I will no longer feel held back from sharing my faith. I will no longer feel like I can’t share the most important aspect of my entire life, which is my faith in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.
And most of all, I want every single person reading this to know that if these last few days have had that kind of impact on your life, where you have questions, or you’re feeling that pull to read the Bible but you don’t know where to start, or you want to go to church but you don’t know where to go, I’M HERE. I would love to talk to you. I would love to help.
I want to give you some resources. First, if you’re wanting to purchase a Bible but have no idea what to look for, my personal preference (and the Bible I read every day) is the English Standard Version (ESV). I find it to be a very good and reliable translation, while also being easy to read. And there are all kinds available, from Bibles that are the text of Scripture only, to Study Bibles that have helpful notes (commentary) in them to help you understand, to Bibles with large margins in them where you can write your own notes. They come in all sizes and colors, and you can find a whole slew of them here: Amazon.com : ESV bible (That’s not an affiliate link. I have no interest in making money off of this.)
If you’re brand new to the Christian faith and need guidance and have no idea where to start, I highly recommend a helpful book and study guide written by one of my dearest friends, Lori Joiner. Her book Start Here: Six Foundational Lessons for Growth in Christ is a great foundational book that is available in both English and Spanish.
If you are interested in watching some videos just to see what this whole Christianity thing is about, my favorite resource is Ligonier Ministries on YouTube, and specifically, my favorite person to listen to is R.C. Sproul. Even though he’s a Presbyterian and I’m a Baptist, I could listen to this man all day long. He died a few years back, but there’s so much on that channel from him that it will keep you busy for years to come.
And finally, if you’re feeling that draw to go to church, maybe after dropping out for a few years, or maybe for the first time ever, I can offer this resource for finding a good, solid, Bible-teaching church in your area. There are links all over that page that will lead you to different search engines and other helpful resources for finding a church.
But here’s the deal about being a Christian. You cannot and should not go at it alone. Christianity is not just about you and your Bible holed up in your house. It’s not just about your “personal relationship” with God. Christianity is about being a part of the body of Christ. That’s just a Bible-speak way of saying that you need to be part of a fellowship with other believers. This isn’t a solo journey.
But most of all, I want everyone to know that I’m here. I am a Christian. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I have been a Christian since I was a young child, and I can’t imagine navigating this treacherous world and this life without my faith in him.
So let me end this with a short explanation of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and what it means, written succinctly and beautifully by John Piper:
1) God created us for his glory.
“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:6–7). God made all of us in his own image so that we would image forth, or reflect, his character and moral beauty.
2) Therefore every human should live for God’s glory.
“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). The way to live for the glory of God is to love him (Matthew 22:37), trust him (Romans 4:20), be thankful to him (Psalm 50:23), obey him (Matthew 5:16), and treasure him above all things (Philippians 3:8; Matthew 10:37). When we do these things we image forth God’s glory.
3) Nevertheless, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him . . . and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images” (Romans 1:21–23). None of us has loved or trusted or thanked or obeyed or treasured God as we ought.
4) Therefore we all deserve eternal punishment.
“The wages of sin is (eternal) death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Those who did not obey the Lord Jesus “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).
5) Yet, in his great mercy, God sent his only Son Jesus Christ into the world to provide for sinners the way of eternal life.
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
6) Therefore eternal life is a free gift to all who will trust in Christ as Lord and Savior and supreme Treasure of their lives.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
If you’d like to hear a succinct presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in video, this is another one of my favorite teachers/pastors named Voddie Baucham. (You can find plenty of videos from him on the Ligonier YouTube channel as well.)
If you have questions, I’m here.
(Comments will be highly moderated on this post. Just a fair warning.)
ETA: So that I don’t have to respond to all of the “Charlie was hateful, racist, homophobic” comments separately, I’ll just let this young, black, gay man who knew Charlie personally speak for him.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Thank you!
Amen. Well said. My heart was crushed by Charlie’s death. I too will not be silent so as not to confront anyone else or make them uncomfortable. Thank you for helping me understand what I need to do Charlie.
Thank you! 🫶
Amen and thank you for this post!
“I’ve heard so many people say that he was terrible and divisive person, but I have yet to see any of that in the hours and hours of videos I’ve watched. Yes, he had his own positions in issues, and he was there to debate those issues, but he wasn’t unkind about it.”
This is wrong. He was unkind. He celebrated the death of George Floyd. He was an advocate for oppression and unkindness and all sorts of horrible things, and the nice things he said doesn’t erase the horrible things he said.
I love that you advocate for your religion and for the doctrine of Christ. For heaven’s sake, don’t pretend that Charlie Kirk was an example of it. I have a higher opinion of God than that.
Can you provide links to examples of this?
They are easy to find
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/following-death-14-quotes-thoughts-195129835.html
Those are quotes taken out of context. Anybody can do that to win an argument. The whole video for each example needs to be watched.
What context would be needed to justify “if my 10 year old daughter got pregnant through rape, she’d have the child”? What context is needed for “black people lack the brain power for xyz”? There’s many examples. A huge part of of the problem for all this discussion is that people seem to think 2 things can’t be true at once. In this case, he was murdered and that’s bad and shouldn’t have happened AND he was a bad person who spewed hate and division. Here’s the best article I’ve read on this: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/09/charlie-kirk-legacy-ezra-klein-2020-election-trump-turning-point/
I have followed Charlie Kirk since I found him quite some time ago. I was devastated by his death. I have cried for days, not for Charlie, because he is in the arms of Jesus, but for his beautiful, loving wife and those sweet babies, and for me. I will miss his wisdom, strength, faithfulness, and love for God and country. Rejoice in Paradise Charlie. See you soon!
Go to the actual discussions. Anything can be taken out of context to say whatever you want to hear.
I honestly believe you should rewatch the videos where you believe Charlie “celebrated” a death. Charlie never promoted oppression or unkindness…if you find the videos/statements which you feel prove me wrong…please share them here.
Proof? People keep sharing his quote about empathy without continuing to the second sentence where he says he prefers the terms compassion and sympathy, so full context is also required.
The difference between sympathy and empathy is that they are similar words that mean ALMOST the same thing. Charlies point was the although we cannot actively share in the persons ACTUAL feelings, just be sincerely concerned.
Definition of Sympathy vs. Empathy from Miriam Webster:
Sympathy and empathy both refer to a caring response to the emotional state of another person, but a distinction between them is typically made: while sympathy is a feeling of sincere concern for someone who is experiencing something difficult or painful, empathy involves actively sharing in the emotional experience of the other person.
Sympathy has been in use since the 16th century, and its greater age is reflected in its wider breadth of meanings, including “a feeling of loyalty” and “unity or harmony in action or effect.” It comes ultimately from the Greek sympathēs, meaning “having common feelings, sympathetic,” which was formed from syn- (“with, together with”) and páthos, “experience, misfortune, emotion, condition.” Empathy was modeled on sympathy; it was coined in the early 20th century as a translation of the German Einfühlung (“feeling-in” or “feeling into”). First applied in contexts of philosophy, aesthetics, and psychology, empathy continues to have technical use in those fields that sympathy does not.
I haven’t actually heard what Charlie Kirk said about George Floyd. I’m currently working through the other “statements he made” that so far have been taken out of context, so I think likely his comments about George Floyd were also. I’m sorry Mr. Floyd died the way he did. I do believe it was the result of bad police training and screening processes. HOWEVER, I also wish the BLM movement would be more careful about who they choose to highlight as martyrs. George Floyd WAS at one point a career criminal in Houston, being arrested 9 times in a 10-year-period, mostly for drug and theft charges (Harris County court records). After that there were four more arrests for cocaine possession (less than an ounce) and in 2007, an arrest for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon (in a home with a toddler). He was imprisoned and paroled in 2013. Again, the way he was killed was wrong and criminal, BUT he was, indeed, a career criminal. I do not believe Charlie Kirk “celebrated” his death.
Just to provide some clarity about Floyd’s death, it’s important to remember that the Constitution – specifically due process – applies to anyone that is in the States. It doesn’t matter if you were a serial killer or an Eagle Scout, agents of the US government cannot carry out punishment without due process, especially what tragically turned into a summary execution. It’s not about any one person who was killed, it’s about the deprivation of anyone’s inalienable right to Life, to quote Thomas. That’s the entire point of the Constitution and the Rule of Law – either everyone is entitled to due process, or no one is entitled to due process.
33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Thank you! Although I think anyone’s positions are formed by the echo chamber in which they live. The algorithm isn’t going to serve Kristi the awful things he has said, re: POC, the hypothetical of his 10 year child being forced to deliver the product of rape, etc. Certainly not very Christ like.
Please rewatch what you are speaking about. Your comments are not true and nor are they accurate. Charlie was compassionate, empathetic, brilliant, godly and well educated on his faith, the Bible, and politics local and foreign. He was enlightened to the truth and that is why he was killed. It is a sad day for all Americans.
Kat, Thank you for your reply which I completely agree with. I follow a significant number of individuals on both Instagram and Bluesky, and did not read of anyone celebrating Kirk’s horrific death. I’m not on Twitter or Threads and can’t speak for anything that was expressed on those platforms. What I read were statements of sorrow for the loss of life and that violence is never the answer. These statements were from people who disagreed with pretty much everything Kirk said regarding slavery, race, women, guns, etc. I recommend Separation of Church and Hate
Amen
I agree with everything you said. I would never celebrate loss of life like that and I never saw anyone actually celebrating his death, but perhaps the algorithms did not work like that. I certainly didn’t go looking for it.
However, I saw videos of Kirk disparaging black women, women in general, MLK, and people of other religions. He said the passage of the Civil Rights Act was a mistake. He dismissed images of starving children in Gaza as propaganda. Of course he was practicing his right of free speech.
And then, I saw Presidents Biden, Clinton, Obama, and Bush, along with many, many other high ranking Democrats speak out against the violence. Many called for action to finally do something about the gun problem we have here in the U.S. Meanwhile Trump and his followers were quick to blame the left for Kirk’s assassination. We all know now that simply isn’t true.
I am aware that nothing I have posted here will not change anyone’s mind about this situation. Now is the time for us to come to together to pass common sense gun laws. Call it the Melissa Hortman/Charlie Kirk bill.
I am praying for all of us to be able to overcome the divisiveness that our country is experiencing now.
Well said, I agree! Live for His glory, not ourselves. ❤️✝️❤️
Thank you so much for making these resources available! I so appreciate it!
Have a wonderful day!
Thank you, Kristi for communicating we feel at the horror of the evil around us, but more importantly sharing the hope we have as Christians through Jesus Christ our Savior! Bless you and again, thank you!
Yes to all you’ve said. It’s become more clear than ever that we’re not fighting against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. They stoned the prophets and crucified Jesus for speaking the truth they didn’t want to hear. Darkness wants to silence the truth, but Jesus said that darkness will not prevail. John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” I think the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk has caused more people, me for one, to make sure our light shines more brightly.
Thanks so much for all you have said today. I encourage anyone who doesn’t know Jesus to seek him and follow him. We are at a time for decision.
Once again I find myself crying. Thank you for being a bold witness. Thank you for listing resources. We do not know how the Lord will move in all this but we are called to faithful, unafraid and bold for our God goes before us. May he bless you with discernment and strength.
Praise the Lord!! Thank you, Kristi, for sharing His word.
Wow! So beautifully said. I’ve been following you since the condo. I love you.
♥️♥️
Amen, Christy!
We have been given one job, after accepting the gift of eternal life.
All else is simply wood, hay and stubble that will burn to ash. 1 Cor. 3: 12-13
“ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 18:18-20
Amen!
Thank you!
Amen! The evil in this world is staggering and scary. Thankfully Revelations lets us know that in the end, when God returns, He will win the battle. In the meantime, we as Christians are called to spread the Gospel, live the life God created us to live and calls us to live. We all fail at that call with our sin but Jesus took away our sin on the cross and through Him eternal life is ours IF we believe. God bless this country and the world.
I had never heard of Charlie before and I certainly do not believe in much that he says. But, I am also a Christian and believe that killing is a sin. He had the right to have his opinions and I applaud the way he listened to others. In June, Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed by an intruder impersonating a police officer. The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, also targeted and wounded another Democratic lawmaker, State Senator John Hoffman, and his wife in a separate, but connected, attack. I really cannot get over how much evil is in this world these days. Both sides are equally responsible and I really wish that we, as a people, could just agree to disagree.
I read when he was arrested or they found car, it was full of no king’s flyers.
I suspect that’s propaganda because it doesn’t make any sense. Just a reminder that bearing false witness against your neighbor is also a sin.
And I agree with the earlier commenter about being careful of what the algorithms are feeding you. I don’t watch tv. I don’t engage in social media except Facebook and I’ve got my security settings turned up and videos set to not play unless I play them. Although I had heard of Charlie Kirk I knew nothing about him before this week. The comments I’ve seen demonize the left for its response to his killing. The comments I’ve seen from people on the left express sorrow for his murder and his family without exception, even from those who had heard of him and viewed his positions on things negatively.
Perhaps we should all step away from social media and instead spend our time helping those in our community, taking a walk out in nature, creating art, making music …
I do read newspapers that employ fact checkers. About five different ones that have different viewpoints, including non-American newspapers because I like to keep track of (1) what’s going on in the world and they’re better at reporting that and (2) what’s going on the rest f the world thinks of us.
This shooting in Minnesota was a leftist…; the last 2 school shooters were Transitioning. The medicines and/or RX for Depression can put people over the edge. This is a decorating blog but I totally agree we Christians don’t always step out in the limelight to explain our side. Charlie did and was very calm and respectful; no one can replace him. Charlie had gay friends (Dave Rubin) who said he was always respectful. Hopefully we can all step up, but the EVIL person who killed the young girl on the Charlotte train; had been released 14 times. All Glory goes to God; we do NOT need to live in fear for speech or religion. Media Lies…..
Such a beautiful post, raw and true. I was at work last Wednesday, blessed to be a parish secretary. Some of our members came to church and we prayed and cried together. Our pastor preached on the power of the Cross yesterday- with more gut emotion than we have ever seen. My motto for years has been, “Life is short, eternity is long – play the long game.” I proclaim it boldly today. God bless you dear good lady.
Amen. Thank you so much for your post.
You expressed my feelings so much better than I could have.
As a person who has read the Bible *many* times and grew up Southern Baptist in a town not too far from Waco, I say this:
The Christianity that Charlie Kirk upheld was not what Jesus wants. I’ve listened to far too many things Charlie Kirk has said about women, the LGBTQ community, and people of color to believe he was a man after God’s heart.
I also feel it’s important to note that the people of Gaza have been witnessing their children, parents, entire bloodlines, etc be slaughtered daily and there are many many people who have been celebrating their deaths – from Israeli solders dancing on TikTok to comments saying “wipe them out”. The fact that a genocide in “God’s name” didnt cause a reaction from a Christian, but one man’s death did is sad.
I love to follow Christians who uphold Christ’s values. Charlie Kirk did not. I would implore a more careful, contextual, reading of one’s Bible if you disagree.
About Gaza: If you could see my personal Facebook timeline, you would see that that’s pretty much all I’ve been posting about for the last two months (and have been posting regularly about Israel/Gaza for the last 15 years) with the singular goal of waking up my Christian friends to the fact that supporting that is antithetical to everything in the Bible. The problem is a teaching called “dispensationalism” that has taken over the Church (at large) in America — a completely false doctrine that was introduced in 1830 and spread throughout American Christianity through the Scofield Study Bible in the early 1900s — and spread like wildfire through books like The Late Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind books. It’s a false teaching, but sadly, it has captured about 80% of American evangelicals. I’m working my hardest to break Christians out of that trap, but it’s very slow going. I even wrote a 160+-page paper exposing that false teaching and have been offering it for anyone who wants to read it. But again, it’s so ingrained in the minds of 80% of evangelicals that it’s like trying to get a person out of a cult. I used to be one of them, but came out of that about 15 years ago. I’m a Reformed Baptist now, and the Reformed church has no allegiance to the modern nation-state of Isreal.
I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this about your beliefs, very interesting.
No one needs to swear allegience to Israel, but please don’t stereotype all of us Israelis as people who dance on the graves of others or desire the deaths of innocent children. Almost every person I know is or has been a soldier and that is not who they are at all! If you think watching Charlie Kirk’s assassination broadcast accross social media was indescribably horrific, imagine an entire coutry watching the gleeful murders of families and friends being filmed live for all to see. Just as you are saying that evil is trying to take over your country…so it is here as well. We are a country going through a horrific time and most of us are simply trying to survive, but it feels like we are being washed away in a flood of death and yet somehow we need to get up every morning and go to work and take care of our families. Please remember that things are much more complex than they seem and perhaps more is going on than you understand. And please have compassion for everyone – not just one side. Thank you.
Leora, thank you for speaking up! It is unfortunate that in the US we get such biased media. Hamas uses their civilians/hospitals/schools as shields. The Israeli army as a rule goes out of their way to avoid casualties often times at risk to themselves. If any other country were dealing with such constant terror attacks, they would be wiping out their enemies indiscriminately.
Kristi, have you ever been to Israel? Have you’ve actually seen both sides of the story? It is much more nuanced than you probably are aware.
You should research Charlie Kirk’s positions on Israel. He was bringing more and more attention to Israel and stated he was afraid of the consequences; he was even called anti-Semitic.
I agree! I certainly don’t condone this violence. There needs to be an openness of differing opinions through the US. It seems the days of allowing others’ opinions and respectfully disagreeing are over. I am a liberal. I respect others’ opinions. I could respect Trump’s opinions if they were delivered civilly. They aren’t civil and they promote disorder and disrespect. Kindness and respect are never a bad way to conduct yourself even if there are disagreements.
What did he say that was not biblical?
This may get me booted from your platform, but as you have exercised your inner feelings, so must I. I could say nothing at all and remain to see how all of your hard work plays out. Often I do refrain from commenting because I have a very different opinion from yours on what you’re doing.
But in the spirit of being silenced no longer…
Charlie Kirk was antithetical to everything I hold dear and believe in.
Raised Catholic, I was taught that Christ fed the hungry and mingled with the poor and sinners. As I grew up and went to college I expanded my view, meeting others from countries I only read about. It was eye opening to hear of their lives, where they grew up. I felt honored that they chose a small liberal arts college in my hometown for their education. I believe a woman’s place is in the world. Women belong in places where important decisions are being made. If they don’t want to marry or have children that is 100% their choice. If they want 1 child or 15, their choice as well. But to be taught to be submissive/subservient to a man in order to live ‘a godly life’ flies in the face of all I believe in. Mr Kirk said the Civil Rights amendment should be repealed. He says “ some must die to protect our second amendment rights”. Young people are hearing this and hanging on his every word. They will teach this to the next generation. It sickens me.
This is not how Christ lived his life. This is not what Christ taught his followers. Mr Kirk’s murder is horrific, an abomination, and so is the murder of Melissa Hortman, Minnesota State Representative, her husband and their dog. Not to mention all the school children murdered before and after Colombine.
So yes, I’m certainly to the left of center here, but that doesn’t mean I condone murder in any way shape or form. And especially not “ lethal injection for the homeless” in order to deal with that problem.
Thank you for your comment !
Thank you Cathy, this longtime reader appreciates your courage to dissent from the majority of Kristi’s readers. Kristi expressed her most inner feelings specifically in the spirit of no longer being silent, so must I as well: I am genuinely curious if Kristi or any of these commenters felt the same rage when 2 parents were assassinated at their front door for their beliefs, the Hortmans of course, and received almost zero outcry and respect for their service as public servants, not podcasters. As for the t-shirt, I’ve seen plenty for a long time now (and bumper stickers and yard signs) calling for violence on members of the Left and it seems Freedom of Speech is only allowed for the Right.
Thank you Kristi for your post and also the space in the comments for your readers.
Agreed and thank you all in this chain. I’m a liberal Democrat and I’ve personally never seen Kristi hold back on her mention of her religion here on this blog, so this post just seemed confusing to me. I know my beliefs don’t align with hers, but I always followed the blog for design, not politics, so I put on blinders.
I won’t mourn Charlie Kirk. But things are getting increasingly heated, and it does concern me for our country in general.
Please share the bumper sticker calling for violence on the left. Charlie spoke from the Bible. He had open courteous debates with young voters. He was in favor of family and wanting fathers in the home. I challenge you to watch his full videos, not just clips. We can agree to disagree but he is far more a chrisyian man than most who are influencing our youth today.
Thank you Kristi
Cathy, I’m with you. I’d never heard of Mr. Kirk either until last week, because if someone starts injecting religion into politics, I tune out. It does not belong together.
He didn’t insert religion it was Christianity. There is a difference and our country was founded in Christian beliefs. You can find a short history lesson about our constitution on one of his videos explaining that. You have to start with the original 13 states constitution…that is what our country was built on
The United States was NOT founded on Christian beliefs, The US Constitution established a secular government with no religious tests and guaranteed freedom for ALL. One of the founding principles is separation of church and state.
Thank you Trishale. You’re right. James Madison, “the father of the Constitution” was quite unequivocal in his opinion that there should be freedom both of religion and freedom from religion. In his “Memorial and Remonstrations against Religious Assessments” (public taxes that would have financially supported clergy of “approved” religions had they been approved, which they were not), he laid out a numbered list of arguments against state-sponsored religion. My favorites are numbers 8, 9, and 10.
“8. Because the establishment in question is not necessary for the support of Civil Government. If it be urged as necessary for the support of Civil Government only as it is a means of supporting Religion, and it be not necessary for the latter purpose, it cannot be necessary for the former. If Religion be not within the cognizance of Civil Government how can its legal establishment be necessary to Civil Government? What influence in fact have ecclesiastical establishments had on Civil Society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the Civil authority; in many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny: in no instance have they been seen the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate it needs them not. Such a Government will be best supported by protecting every Citizen in the enjoyment of his Religion with the same equal hand which protects his person and his property; by neither invading the equal rights of any Sect, nor suffering any Sect to invade those of another.
“9. Because the proposed establishment is a departure from that generous policy, which, offering an Asylum to the persecuted and oppressed of every Nation and Religion, promised a lustre to our country, and an accession to the number of its citizens. What a melancholy mark is the Bill of sudden degeneracy? Instead of holding forth an Asylum to the persecuted, it is itself a signal of persecution. It degrades from the equal rank of Citizens all those whose opinions in Religion do not bend to those of the Legislative authority. Distant as it may be in its present form from the Inquisition, it differs from it only in degree. The one is the first step, the other the last in the career of intolerance. The magnanimous sufferer under this cruel scourge in foreign Regions, must view the Bill as a Beacon on our Coast, warning him to seek some other haven, where liberty and philanthrophy in their due extent, may offer a more certain repose from his Troubles.
“10. Because it will have a like tendency to banish our Citizens. The allurements presented by other situations are every day thinning their number. To superadd a fresh motive to emigration by revoking the liberty which they now enjoy, would be the same species of folly which has dishonoured and depopulated flourishing kingdoms.”
He was right. And Thomas Jefferson requested that what he considered his three greatest accomplishments be noted on his tombstone. They were 1. The Declaration of Indepemdence, 2. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and 3. The founding of the Universtiry of Virginia.
Let me repeat that “Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate it needs them not.”
Well said CathyR. It is disappointing that for so many people on the Right it takes the murder of one of their own to outrage them. We should all be outraged anytime violence is used as an answer. And we as a nation should be taking steps to limit that happening in the future: providing better mental health care in the case of DeCarlos Brown Jr. more gun control and leaders who don’t advocate hatred and violence against those they oppose. Personally, I would also vote for limitations on social media which, in my opinion, is more responsible for things like this than spiritual warfare, but YMMV.
100% all of this!!!!
I agree 100% with what you have said here. I am also left of center and follow many on the left. I did not see a single post of ‘people cheering, dancing, laughing, celebrating’. What I did see were people condemning the shooting, saying that violence is NEVER condoned. They also said that Charlie Kirk was a divisive person, who thought that anyone who was not a white Christian was less than. I do not celebrate his death, but I also will not mourn it.
“who thought that anyone who was not a white Christian was less than”
I challenge you to find one single video where he says this. Not a clip taken out of context, but the whole context of what he says.
New York Times
Race
Mr. Kirk believed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a destructive force in American politics, calling its passage a “mistake” that he said has been turned into “an anti-white weapon.”
He also blamed the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the law and was highly critical of the slain civil rights leader, calling him an “awful” person. Mr. Kirk said he desired a colorblind society but blamed the veneration of Dr. King for what he saw as America’s fixation on race.
Mr. Kirk was also a staunch opponent of affirmative action and was highly critical of the Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, calling her a “diversity hire” who wasn’t qualified to serve on the highest court.
His repudiation of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, known as D.E.I., stretched to comments many denounced as racist. In 2024, he said, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”
In 2021, while delivering a speech in Mankato, Minn., Mr. Kirk called George Floyd — the Black man whose murder by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020 provoked a broad racial justice movement — a “scumbag” who wasn’t worthy of the attention.
I would need to see all of those in full context coming out of the mouth of Charlie Kirk. I’m well beyond trusting any mainstream media, and I do mean ANY mainstream media, left, right, or center. I haven’t watched or read mainstream media in at least 10 years now. I don’t trust partial quotes. I don’t trust the media paraphrasing what he said. I’d want to see the full context coming out of Charlie’s mouth.
People are providing you with the information you request and then you are disparaging it. It isn’t responsibility of others to educate you, educate yourself please.
Your religion can be wonderful and sincere and Charlie Kirk also a bad person. He really was – he said awful things and worked for awful ends. I don’t think the Lord needs you to defend terrible people in order to praise Him.
Alice, I said right from the beginning “Not a clip taken out of context, but the whole context of what he says.” I haven’t seen any full-context videos linked yet.
ETA: I’ll also add that while it is my responsibility to educate myself, if someone is going to make a claim, it’s also up to them to substantiate it. That substantiation needs to include the full context.
Stephen King found that out the hard way these last few days. After claiming that Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gay people to death, people started coming after him after Charlie Kirk’s death for spreading that kind of lie. He did a little fact checking and found out he was wrong and it was something taken out of context. Now he’s deleting his posts, groveling, begging for forgiveness, and hoping to goodness he doesn’t get sued.
So the onus isn’t on me to disprove someone else’s claim. The onus is on them to factually prove the claim they’re making. That’s where the burden of proof lies.
At this point, everyone needs to use critical thinking skills when reading/viewing anything online. Some things are edited, some are totally fake. Mainstream media is not the worst offender here in that regard.
You will need to provide a real source as the New York Times has published lies to serve a biased narrative and this has been proven time and time again. None of what you wrote is accurate except for the fact that George Floyd did not deserve to die, however, he was a scumbag criminal. And everyone should be against affirmative action and DEI as they have done nothing but put undeserving people in positions of power and hurt those who should have earned the positions through merit alone.
❤️ 🙏 🇺🇸
It boggles the mind how they can blindly defend George Floyd as some kind of saint –
It’s been proven that he was saying “I can’t breathe” before Chauvin ever put his knee on him — this is not a defense of Chauvin, it’s just a fact that there was more going on (a drug overdose) than what the media would have us believe, since Floyd’s drug use doesn’t fit their preferred narrative.
In addition, his long arrest record — verified incidents like his holding a gun to the belly of a pregnant woman while his partners in crime robbed her house…
He was a criminal in desperate need of Christ. That is the truth of George Floyd.
Everyone should mourn the death of a human being that Jesus Christ cares for.
This includes a drugged out thief, a murdered housewife an immigrant girl killed on buses and young men whose opinions do not match our own. If any person is held up to the gospel and compare to our perfect and holy Lord, we all fail horribly and no one would mourn any of us if perfection is required for mourning.
Mourn instead the loss of a tender heart.
🩷🩷🩷
Kristi,
You know this isn’t coming from nowhere. You know he wasn’t spotless of the hatred people are saying. If you insist on believing none of it, despite all the quotes and evidence, then nothing anyone says will persuade you. I love Christianity. I’m sorry it is tied in your head to that mortal and flawed man.
Hello Kate,
May I ask if you have watched/listened to the video in its entirety? (I’m referring to the gay black guy one.)
Respectfully,
Marie
Kristi my sister in Christ I am so proud of you for this post!!! 🙌🏻 I am with you! I want to make sure everyone in my reach knows where I stand in my faith as well as the path to salvation in Jesus Christ and the true peace He brings. God is up to something! He has been waiting for His people to turn from this world, return to fully to Him, humble ourselves before Him and get on our knees. And unfortunately sometimes it takes us experiencing the darkest of dark before we turn to the Light. This week we’ve seen the darkest. Joining you in the battle on my knees 🙏🏻
Thank you and Amen.
I knew you were a Christian and hosted groups of people from your church at your home. I felt you didn’t talk about it often because you didn’t want to make religion a focus of your blog. I am glad that you chose to discuss your belief in God today. I hope that Charlie Kirk’s death will draw more people to attend church, study the bible and practice sharing love, kindness, acceptance and understanding towards everyone – not just toward people who hold the same religious beliefs. May God bless you!
👏 ❤️ God Bless
AMEN and again, AMEN!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your testimony. I too have felt the shift and am done tiptoeing around afraid that I may offend someone with my own testimony. Jesus is my Savior and I know that He lives!
I love this post! Thank you for sharing!
Love you, Kristi!
There is so much hatred in your country – its heartbreaking. Kristi – I respect your faith, and that of every single person on the planet. My issue is when that faith says that some people are ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’ or ‘deviant’ et. And every religion has a dark past – when it was ok to persecute people for a variety of reasons. Until we are able to accept our differences and let those that are ‘different’ live in peace, until that day comes, I cannot support any religion. I will not have anyone be told that they are abominations because of who they love, or because they choose to have/not have children, because they’ve decided to live a life that may be different than the norm, in the name of faith that supports that.
Remember – the bible was written by men. It has been adapted and changed over centuries, by men. Everything written in it is heresay. Its a lovely story book. God/Allah/the universe is what is in your heart and soul.
Peace to all.
Dear Cheryl, Please know that God LOVES you. He sent His son Jesus to Die for you. I am so sorry that so many of us (Christians) have misrepresented Him to you. Thank you for being so kind even when you disagree
The Bible actually hasn’t been changed and adapted over the centuries. I encourage you to watch these two videos from Wes Huff, one of the best apologists of the Christian faith online.
Part 1: https://youtu.be/QhVPBNBAGY0?si=tVl2r9n-gXpCUoye
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkmLCWeORaQ
Cheryl. You are my new best friend! Thank you for your eloquent words.
Jesus is the ONLY answer, He is the ONLY way to God! Thank you for sharing your faith!
Thank you for being you and a sister in Christ!
I won’t speak in depth about what happened last week. It was a horrible week of hatred, yes. But my feeling is that I don’t talk politics or religion, however, I do feel that religion has invaded politics more heavily in the past few administrations in the country overall. I am sad at how our country has turned. These two platforms invading each other, as well as the widespread Internet garbage online, is destroying church and state. This, I believe, will allow attacks on our country if we don’t stop hating each other and trying to persuade us to all think alike. That is what made our country great – the ability to live as we choose and accept each other as humans no matter what. I hate that I have to talk about subjects that I swore to myself I would not do. And I stop it here, now.
Thank you so much for sharing, for speaking the truth in love. Charlie’s assassination death and his widow’s heartbroken words afterward hit me very hard. Especially, as you said, after the horrifying violence earlier that week. I’ve long appreciated your creative decorating, and now also admire you for speaking out. Thank you.
This is the best post you have ever written, bar none. Proclaiming your faith to our Lord and Savior is certainly reasonable and I’ll bet that most of your readers feel the same way. Thank you for being open and honest with us in all things and providing the reading material for those who might need it. I have been in a spiritual flux for many years since my church, the Episcopal, and so many others began going in the “wrong” direction in my opinion. Since Charlie’s assassination, I have made it my goal to find a church for me and my husband.
Thank you and God Bless your family.
Thank you
From what I’ve seen, religion causes the most divisiveness in the world: between nations, between religions, and between families. Because humans are imperfect and religions are created by humans, I find them highly problematic as a guide for life. And religion has been the root of many, many evils and atrocities in this world.
That being said, I understand why people need religion, especially during dark and uncertain times. I would never begrudge someone something that is important to them, just because it’s not important to me. If you are a good person, regardless of religious beliefs, then that is what the world needs more of!
I am glad you are posting something important to you and spreading positivity on your blog during this crap timeline we’re in. Thank you!
Thank you for being kind even though you don’t have the same beliefs as Kristi (and me). It’s encouraging to see people (no matter which side of center they’re on) to express their beliefs in a way that doesn’t belittle others. I agree with you that religion is divisive. I also want to people to know being a Christian isn’t about being “religious.” It’s about having a relationship with a God who loves us. As Christians we need to do a better job of showing that to the world while still standing up for our beliefs.
I too am a Christian, and I respect and applaud you for being transparent in your reactions and beliefs today. I am left of center, mainly because I believe in Love your neighbor to the point that I want fairness, justice, and opportunity for all people, which seems to be eschewed by many Christians, including Charlie Kirk. I don’t believe that Jesus would support much of what he espoused, although I have been impressed with how he could stay calm in the face of opposition, and I respect that he thought he was doing God’s work. I am for the children—the children of Gaza, the children of illegal immigrants, and the children of families that don’t look exactly like “the perfect family.” I am for women to be all they can be. We need women in our society who go to school for more than a Mrs. degree—we need thinkers like you, women who go after what they need and want like you, women who care like you. I abhor what is happening in our country and around the world today. I hate what happened to Charlie Kirk, to the woman on the subway, to the children in the latest school shootings. I also hate what happened to the couples in Minnesota, the violence against black detainees like George Floyd, the Incels who hate women and want to do them harm, and the culture of us vs them that has sprung out of a consolidated struggle for power and might. I’m telling you this because you were transparent about you, so I’m being honest about me. I went through something emotionally similar with the violent news you described. I get my news from different sources, although I do also go on X and listen to some of the same podcasters you do. I try to find out as much “truth” as I can. I personally care about hearing from you about what’s going on internally. I learn from you, I enlarge my understanding of our world from commentaries like you just posted, and I keep striving to think, feel, and make my way through the confusion. Thanks, Kristi.D
Thank you Dottie.
Amen! 100%. My prayer for myself is 1. I will be bold 2. I will be compassionate 3. I will speak in live, not anger
Your words really touched me. The way you spoke about everything that’s happened, and the faith you hold onto in such dark times, really resonated with me. I can feel the emotion in what you shared. Even though I’m across the ocean, I share in the sadness and heartbreak of seeing so much suffering. Thank you for reminding us to keep faith and to care for one another in the face of all this. Sending you strength and prayers x
This post made me cry. Exactly how I have been feeling for so long. I knew you were a Christian, I felt it in my soul. My husband and I attend church and we are so thankful for our church family. After Charlie’s assassination, our 15-year old grandson wanted to go to church with us yesterday. God is good ALL the time!
Amen! Amen, amen, amen!
Amen
Amen!
Thank you for this.
Thank you for sharing your faith! God has been my rock in so many ways and times and I couldn’t do this life without Him. Thank you for not being silenced.
Kristi, if I could follow you twice, I would. Thank you for sharing your heart.
I too am horrified by the hatred and violence in our country. I have been following you since the condo. I was always so proud of you – no fear of power tools or tackling a huge project. I am sad to say that I cannot support a woman who proclaims to have Christian morals, but publicly supports a bigot – I simply have to unfollow a woman that has the courage to take on what are seen as “men’s project’s” but swallows the spewing of a man that preached where a “woman’s place” was. I was aware of Charlie before this tragedy, and disgusted of his beliefs and views. Here is a link from the New York Times that contains several documented and researched quotes by Charlie Kirk that I find personally repulsive: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/us/charlie-kirk-views-guns-gender-climate.html.
Oh my, what a lost and duped soul you are. I pray you turn to God and repent before it’s too late.
My comment was for Lisa above not Kristi. I agree with Kristi, For some reason not all the reply posts aren’t showing correctly.
I agree with you, Lisa, and I am unfollowing Kristi as well. It is extremely easy to find examples of Kirk’s bigotry, misogyny, etc. The “debates” he posted on his site were heavily edited. Some people see only what they want to see and believe only what they want to believe.
If it’s extremely easy, you should be able to provide lots of in-context links, right?
Hello Mariann,
Perhaps before you go, you could consider watching the video (in its entirety), even if only as a token of respect to Kristi for the years of enjoyment you have gained from her blog?
Respectfully,
Marie
100% to all of this! There is a palpable shift in the air, and as absolutely horrible as these events are, they are all in God’s perfect plan.
Amen Sister. My husband was born the year of Kennedy’s assassination. We were both toddlers for MLK and Bobby being assassinated. My grandfather was at Pearl Harbour, and it was hard to get him to talk about what he saw that day. My husband and I were on the phone that awful morning in September, he at his office in the Pentagon, and me at my office in Alexandria, watching the second plane hit the towers. We’ve been to more than our fair share of military funerals and helped those left behind with struggles that we cannot begin to imagine. For most of our 40 years of marriage my husband has been gone, serving our country, and still now working in industry. I tuned out the media long ago but still catch enough headlines to stay in the know, not like I can do a darn thing about it. I find that when I can no longer stand what I am seeing and hearing, I fall to my knees and ask that higher power to give me strength and courage to keep going. We know people from all walks of faith and ethnicity, and we find that WE ALL WANT the same things. Safety for our children, ourselves and each other when it really comes down to it. Your blog is the only one that I really wait for every day, set a time to sit down and enjoy it with a cuppa coffee and sometimes my lunch. I just can’t wait to see what this incredible young lady has done today, or is in the process of, with all the grace and kindness that we all want in our lives. I am betting that all of us wish we lived right next door, probably best that we don’t, you’d never get anything done, but we’d all be very helpful, or at least we’d like to think we would be. I guess all of this is a sad commentary on life. My parents grew up in the depression, I grew up in the turbulent 60’s, watched our world turn to fire on 9/11, and worried every time my husband left home. Every generation has had this, I wish it would stop with us, it probably won’t, but it is still something to pray for. Kristi, you are not alone, your faith is one of the things that draws most of us to you, and I know that we are never stronger than when we are on our knees in prayer.
Sending you hugs from East Tennessee.
I am so sorry you saw the video. I haven’t and I pray I never do. I also pray that God will use this for good. If there could be a revival. If we could come together. I heard a quote this weekend that resonated with me-there can be no reconciliation without contrition. I want us all to come together. But I don’t know how we can reconcile with a person (not blaming a whole group) who celebrates murder. The worst meme I saw was Charlie’s arms thrown up, his head leaning back, and just starting to list to the side. And beside that image was one of president Trump doing his YMCA dance. The words were something to the effect that how cute, for dancing like his hero at the very end. I was sick. I don’t want to hear any “what about isms” either. I just want to pray. I listened to the psalms sung by blues artists this weekend. It was beautiful. I saw young men on YouTube that were doing videos of themselves practicing to be future preachers! That gave me hope. I know God is in control. That gives me hope. And I vow never to be an undercover Christian again either. I’ve always been fearful of saying the wrong thing, but I should have been more afraid of saying nothing at all. We need to pray for each other. And pray for our country, our leaders and our neighbors. I truly believe only God can heal us. Be strong! I’ve followed you for years, and I’m not going anywhere. Thanks for the resources.
God bless you.
Thank you, Kristi…as a Christian myself, I appreciate your desire to share the deep love of God as He showed through His beloved Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. My the peace of God keep our hearts and minds in Christ through the working of His Holy Spirit.
Love this! Thank you for being BOLD in your faith!
I’m so proud of you!
Thank you. Very much.
Well done!! Good for you speaking out about your faith!
Best Post Ever! Thank You
As a Christian who conscientiously abstains from politics, I had never heard of Charlie Kirk. I too saw the video. I too have been taking melatonin to sleep afterward.
2 Timothy 3:1-4
It is in the deepest darkness that the light shines brightest.
For anyone new to Bible reading, or who has a loved one who wants to start reading the Bible—the YouVersion Bible app allows you to read in multiple versions (even in lots of other languages) to find the one you like best. (Tons are available on audio.) Also, there is a version that was created for young readers—NIRV New International Readers Version. This version can also be helpful for adults with disabilities that affect reading—here’s an example. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.”
John 3:16-17 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/jhn.3.16-17.NIRV
🙏🏻
We truly live in a time where we can no longer be silent.
Your blog today was refreshing in the midst of pain and heartbreak that has and is affecting not only us here but across the entire world. People are hungry for answers and where to find them and we know it only comes from putting our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you Kristi for rising up in confidence to share what the world is crying for.
I’m not a religious person at all. I consider myself a “recovering Catholic”. I had never heard the name Charlie Kirk until this all happened.
I live in Colorado, close to the school shooting in Evergreen. My husband has a cousin who went to Columbine and was there during that shooting.
Our 6 year old came home from school on Wednesday telling me that they practiced their “bad guy” drill. That’s all I can think of these days.
Well and truly said…couldn’t agree more! I’m with Jesus…🙏🏻
Amen
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Amen Kristi!!
From the July 24, 2023 edition of Salem Radio Network’s The Charlie Kirk Show
CHARLIE KIRK (HOST): I know what you’re thinking, we’ve got to get Joe Biden out of the way so we can run against Kammy. Oh my goodness, is she beatable. It’s like Black Hillary on steroids. Is she Black? I guess she says she’s Caribbean or whatever. …
She would be a lot easier to beat than Joe Biden. Joe Biden is a bumbling dementia filled Alzheimer’s corrupt tyrant who should honestly be put in prison and/or given the death penalty for his crimes against America.
The above is just one quote showing Charlie Kirk’s words. He was not kind. He was a racist a misogynist and a bigot. He said, among other things, “Some deaths by guns are worth it to keep our Second Amendment Rights.” He was against Islam or anything else that was not in alignment with his Christian beliefs. While I uphold his right to say such things, I cannot bring myself to excuse them. Nor can I say that he was teaching or living as Jesus did. I can’t imagine Jesus with two multimillion dollar homes and a networth of $300 million dollars. I find his death abhorrent and grieve for his wife and children, but he is not due the honor to be flown home on Air Force Two accompanied by the vice president, to have flags flown at half staff or to have his funeral attended by the president. He is not an American hero. For some he is a Christian hero, but if he had been a Jew or a Muslim none of this hoopla round his death would have happened. We have a separation of church and state in this county. It should be upheld. I am a Christian who believes firmly that Jesus taught us to feed the hungry, take care of widows and orphans and welcome the stranger. Charlie Kirk did not fit that image.
I agree totally. Many other Christian pastors have echoed the same sentiments.
I loved your blog before, but now even more. I am also a Christian. Thank you for taking this bold step. God bless you.
So proud of you for sharing the gospel and scriptures!
Oh, Kristi! This is wonderful! I’m so glad you decided to speak up about your faith. My eyes are filled with tears as I write this. Thank you.
Good job, Kristi!
I especially appreciate your thoroughness in your presentation (as always) and also the quality resources you’ve shared. I would recommend the same and would add the biblical teachings of John MacArthur.
I’ve listened to many hours of Charlie Kirk debates in recent years and would encourage those with negative viewpoints to listen to his actual debates rather than some news outlet’s ‘quote’ out of context. These points of view are totally out of context and not true.
I can’t believe you haven’t come across anything on social media that shows that he wasn’t just about talking about ideas and debate. He was divisive and racist and intolerant and never really about “debating” at all…he just sprinkled his hatred with Bible quotes.
Don’t get me wrong, no one should be shot and killed but where was this outrage from you 2 weeks ago when children were assinatted while they prayed in church
Where was your outrage when Melissa Hortman (and her husband and dog) were politically assinatted. I’m sorry that it’s come to this point and you have to write this blog. But it’s a little too late for you to grandstand your beliefs because a man disguised as a “Christian” who spewed his hatred to millions of vulnerable youth was killed. I’m not cheering his death but I won’t be led down the path to canonize this man either.
I’ve followed your blog for 10 plus years and am sad to say, I will no longer be.
Your outrage is “too little, too late” and if you had said anywhere in this post about ONE hateful thing he had posted and condoned his words..well..
Perhaps your own hatred and tunnel vision has led you to miss that this post wasn’t just about Charlie Kirk, but I also mentioned three other atrocities that happened last week as well. My witnessing Charlie Kirk’s assassination in full and graphic detail (against my own will), and then seeing the vitriol and hatred that followed is what finally made me speak up. No one was dancing on the graves of those poor children who were murdered. No one was dancing on the graves of Melissa Hortman and her family. Charlie’s death was different and brought out a VERY large cohort of pure evil and demonic people that I’ve never seen before. That’s why I finally spoke out.
I’ll let this gay black man do the talking. He knew Charlie, loved Charlie, and defends Charlie by showing context. https://youtu.be/N14ywRyTWVI?si=OBAJ0CaJVsd2G7Yi
Hello Mariann,
Perhaps before you go, you could consider watching the video (in its entirety), even if only as a token of respect to Kristi for the years of enjoyment you have gained from her blog?
Respectfully,
Marie
Thank you for sharing your testimony.
The Charlie Kirk shooting happened in UT, where a local prominent faith leader (and world renowned heart surgeon!) also happens to be turning 101. In an OpEd to the Times, he talks about 2 things he feels are the most important things he learned throughout his long years:
1) All humans have inherent worth and dignity as children of God
2) love your neighbor
I loved how he said:
“A century of experience has taught me this with certainty: anger never persuades, hostility never heals, and contention never leads to lasting solutions.”
Out of all the things this man has seen (depression, wars, advancements), learned (5 languages!), and done (literally invented open heart surgery!), those are the things he wants the world most to know and share. What a world that would that be…
Source:
https://time.com/7315003/russell-nelson-dignity-respect/
You hadn’t seen the evil before because you didn’t want to. It didn’t appear when Charlie died – he was part of stoking it. I’m sorry you dismissed it when you didn’t relate to the people being maligned.
I’ll let this gay black man do the talking. He knew Charlie, loved Charlie, and defends Charlie by showing context. https://youtu.be/N14ywRyTWVI?si=OBAJ0CaJVsd2G7Yi
“No one was dancing on the graves of those poor children who were murdered. ”
Alex Jones?
Again, show me a video where Alex Jones celebrated the murder of children. You can’t just make accusations without bringing proof.
He did not deserve to die like this. But there is so much more outrage over him than over the hundreds of school kids that have been shot. “It’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,” he said during an April 5, 2023, appearance at the Salt Lake City campus of Awaken Church. “That is a prudent deal.”
And he has said more horrible things, At a December 2023 political conference hosted by his Turning Points USA group, Wired magazine reported that Kirk decried not only Martin Luther King Jr., calling the civil rights leader “awful” and “not a good person,” but also the Civil Rights Act of 1965 that outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex and national origin, and prohibited segregation.
“I have a very, very radical view on this, but I can defend it, and I’ve thought about it,” Kirk said. “We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s.”
To me, he was not an example of a Christian. Jesus taught peace, tolerance, acceptance of all people, and love. I do not see that in him.
I too am a Christian. I loved reading this. I commend you!!!
You have been so helpful to the baby Christians as they navigate to find resources. Thank you Kristi.
AMEN!!!
Well said! Thank you for all you shared. Romans 8:28 for sure.
amen! Well said. The world is hurting and we need to be the light in the darkness!
I would also add The Gospel Coalition to the resources.
Thank you for this post. God bless!
Thank you!!
Glory to God.
Amen! Great post and wonderful help for those searching. Thank you.
It’s wild to me that you didn’t mention guns at all in your blog post. Gun reform could help prevent so many tragic deaths. You shared sources about learning more about Christianity, but in my opinion, Christianity is ACTION. What are YOU doing to make the world a better place and prevent these tragedies? I urge people to donate to Everytown for Gun Safety. Put your faith into action.
I don’t mention guns because I firmly believe that guns aren’t the problem. I own a gun, and it has never once leapt out of the drawer where I keep it and killed someone. Not even once. I keep a close eye on it, and it pretty much just sits there doing absolutely nothing.
Let me ask you this. Vehicles are actually much more dangerous and cause more deaths in this country each year than guns. Are you willing to give up your car? Walk on foot or bike everywhere to keep people safe? If not, what ACTION are you taking to make sure fewer people die on the road and to prevent these tragedies? Are you lobbying your congress person? Donating money to organizations to prevent these deaths and pass legislation to restrict car use?
In 2023, there were *17,927 firearm homicide deaths in America, and according to National Gang Center, gang-related gun homicides make up about 13% of homicides annually. That’s with 4 million firearms in the hands of civilians. That same year, there were 40,900 people killed in car accidents, and that’s with 3 million private and commercial vehicles registered. So by the numbers, vehicles are FAR more dangerous and kill far more people. People in this country are about 2.3 times more likely to die of a vehicle accident than they are of a firearm. What are you doing to act on that?
*No, I didn’t include suicides. People who are intent on killing themselves will find a way. My own brother-in-law killed himself with helium. He didn’t need a gun.
I don’t mean to sound callous, but you’ve latched onto this gun issue because the media has told you to. I’ll bet you didn’t even realize that vehicles kill far more people each year, did you? There are literally a million fewer vehicles than firearms, and yet vehicles still manage kill more than double the number of people. Again, people in this country are 2.3 times more likely to die of a vehicle accident than a firearm. And just the fact that when I was in high school, boys would drive to school in their pickup trucks with gun racks mounted in the back window filled with rifles, and yet, school shootings were nonexistent, should tell you that guns are not the problem. We have a much more serious problem on our hands than inanimate objects that are powerless on their own. You can legislate guns all you want, and you’re still not going to get rid of the root of the problem. People intent on killing others will still do it, but instead of using a gun, we’d just see more people plowing through crowds with a car. You will never legislate away the root issue that’s causing people to commit these acts of violence. That type of reasoning and logic is neither reasonable nor logical.
I am also a gun owner, but guns are absolutely the problem.
I also don’t think vehicle deaths are the gotcha you think it is. I actually work in transportation engineering, and my job is literally finding ways to make roads safer. We change laws, we change cars, we change roadway design. All that in pursuit of fewer car deaths. Why can’t we do the same with guns? I still want to drive a car, but I want fewer vehicle deaths. I still want to be able to own a gun, but I ALSO want fewer gun deaths.
Can we work on reducing vehicle deaths AND gun deaths? I say yes! I think Jesus would say yes!
Background checks, alerts to local law enforcement of failed background checks, prevent gun trafficking, and provide an easy way to report lost and stolen guns. These are all things that would have no impact on your gun ownership, but could help prevent deaths.
I am getting out there and doing things for both gun deaths and vehicle deaths. I hope you can, too.
your figures are erroneous. there are, as of 2023, 285 million registered motor vehicles in the US. About 96.6 million are cars. Your guns numbers are also considerably off.
It is no longer true that vehicles cause more deaths than guns and hasn’t been since 2017. You’ve asked for citations. Here’s a link to a graph showing deaths by vehicle vs deaths by guns since 1999. The source of the data is the CDC, which tracks causes of death. You can also look at the CDC’s annual reports from which this data is extracted.
https://everytownresearch.org/graph/gun-death-vs-motor-vehicle-accident-deaths-since-1999/
My Alma mater (the University of California at Davis) has a violence prevention research program. The program is headed by the University Med School’s Emergency Room Chief of Staff. By training, he’s an epidemiologist. Epidemiologists attempt to trace the origins and spread of disease. He is using the same kinds of tools and analysis to help drive data based public policy on gun violence. Here’s a link to resources on the program’s page. You will also note that there is a map showing the rate of gun violence incidents by state. States with stronger gun control laws have lower rates of gun violence.
There has also been research on where guns used in crimes come from. Many are bought in states that have lax gun control rules. For instance, the federal government requires licensed gun dealers to conduct background checks. However private sellers are not required to conduct such checks (referred to as the gun show loophole). Only a small handful of states require provate sellers to conduct checks. Further, “pro gun states” often do not populate the NICS database (used to tag folks who are prohibited from purchasing guns) with state actions that would trigger a prohibition (eg state crimes rather than federal crimes.
Research has also been done on the source of guns used in crimes (when the gun can be recovered). Many are bought in states with lax rules, and many are guns that have been legally purchased, and then stolen from the purchaser. Here’s a link to the Gun Violence Prevention Program’s resource library. You can find all kinds of study data, although I’m guessing you won’t look because much of it won’t confirm your pre-existing biases.
By the way, the Brady Center’s Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence’s former California Legislative Director is a friend of mine. Her beautiful 19 year old daughter, who was her high school’s class valedictorian, was murdered two decades ago in a workplace violence incident by a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who was stalking a woman in the doctor’s office. Every time the guy had an appointment they’d send the woman out the back door. The guy wanted to kill his psychiatrist as a result. He didn’t, but he did kill three other people that day and injured two more. The murderer (Scott Thorpe) had nine legally purchased weapons. His brother was a police officer and a hostage negotiator and talked him into giving himself up, much like the father of the young man who killed Charlie Kirk. My friends asked the DA to NOT prosecute the case as a capital punishment case. They’re DA did not, and Thorpe pled guilty saving my friends from having to relive the tragedy during a trial. They’re Christian’s (Quakers to be exact). They also worked with our legislature to enact a 1% income tax on the billionaires in our state to fund mental health care treatment. I respect them, immensely. The really embody the teachings of Christ. Many self proclaimed Christians have done nothing but convince me that I don’t want to be associated with them or their church. I’m afraid Mr. Kirk falls into that category. He may calmly debate, but his research is full of mistakes.
https://cvp.ucdavis.edu/resource-library
Peace.
PS. When talking about gun violence, it’s important to distinguish between suicides and homicides, because they have different drivers. For instance, the most likely victim of a homicide is a young black man. The most likely victim of a suicide is an elderly white man.
A few other statistics. White on white gun violence happens at about the same rate as black on black violence (because we tent to kill or be killed by those we know).
Killers who have been diagnosed with mental health issues are twice as likely to commit mass shootings as those who have not, but it’s 6 percent as compared to three percent (that comes from a Garvard study which has been available on the NHS website. Drugs and alcohol use shortly before the killing has a much higher correlation—about 50 percent of the time. Since suicide rates are higher than homicide rates, the most likely killer is an older (60+) white man who has been drinking or taking drugs, with himself as the victim. But those don’t make the news.
I’ve got graphs, but your site doesn’t let me post them.
PPS. I said my name was Katy. Duh. It’s Vicky. Katy is my daughter. She’s a scientist who was a NASA Space Grant fellow in Grad School. I’m an engineer (so is hubby). Son does marketing analytics. In other words, we are a family of number crunching data geeks.
This is an interesting review of the efficacy of gun control regulations conducted by the RAND Corporation.
https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/key-findings/what-science-tells-us-about-the-effects-of-gun-policies.html
Vicky and Katy and the rest of the number crunching geek family….I applaud you. Thank you for accurately reporting science based facts. As you stated, it will fall on deaf ears because it won’t align with the bias confirmation. It’s echo chambers we live in.
Thanks so much for citing facts instead of fear, etc.
Vicky, those numbers from Everytown include suicides. I specifically said I excluded suicides because someone intent in harming themselves will do so without a gun, as my own brother-in-law did as he killed himself with helium.
My numbers for firearm homicides came from the CDC, and are from 2023, the most recent year on the report linked on this CDC chart. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Rachel,
Until mandatory sentences and immediate incarceration are invoked for those that commit any crime with a gun, the problem will not be solved. It’s very simple to decrease gun violence. But certain politicians have issue with mandatory sentencing and programs such as “stop and frisk” that took countless guns off the street. Remove the top 4 most dangerous US cities from the gun statistics and the USA falls to face bottom of the gun violence chart. But again, those cities with their soft on crime district attorneys prefer campaign cash vs true reform.
More gun control isn’t the answer, prosecuting criminals is the answer, no more of the lawlessness that’s been rampant and now celebrated.
Not allowing delusional destructive ideologies to indoctrinate children would be another great preventative.
Taking away gun rights from law abiding citizens would only keep the guns in the hands of criminals. And don’t forget about the countries that can’t have those rights and are overtaken by tyrannical governments.
Oh please Sheri!!!! I’m Australian, we don’t have those so called rights and we don’t have a tyrannical Government! We also don’t have school children who have to have drills in case someone attempts to blast them! For the life of me I can not understand why a citizen needs to have access to military grade guns.
We don’t have easy access to military grade guns. Our military uses many different rifled, but the most common are selector-switch weapons that shoot three-round bursts and can also be fully-automatic.
The production of fully automatic weapons for civilian consumers has been banned in this country for decades (since the 80s). Today, the only way for a civilian to get a fully-automatic weapon is to go through a very extensive ATF background check that takes up to six months. On top of that, there’s the cost of the actual weapon, which ranges from around $20,000 to over $100,000. The only people buying those are wealthy collectors, and the purchase and transfer is highly regulated by the ATF. No collector is paying tens of thousands of dollars (or over $100,000) for a weapon to commit a crime.
Hollywood would have you believe that every American must have a fully automatic weapon (or “machine gun”) because that seems to be the weapon of choice for criminals in TV shows and movies, but that’s not reality.
Kristi, do you have any thoughts on my response? You have responded to others, and I would love it if we could find some middle ground!
I thought I did respond, but perhaps you’re talking about another comment that I’m not seeing. Can you link the comment that you’re wanting me to respond to? Simply click on the date/time stamp on the specific comment. That will generate a direct link that comment that you can copy and paste below.
There has been a lot of discussion, and I think I replied to the wrong comment, too. So it makes sense you might have missed it. https://www.addicted2decorating.com/silent-no-more.html#comment-1591141
I truly think action – even if is small – is worth it. Folks brought up maximum sentencing and prosecuting criminals, and I agree that those details should be looked at closely, but it baffles me that people are against closing simple background check loopholes. The perfect is the enemy of the good. There is not one solution to prevent all gun deaths. Laws aren’t perfect. Yes, some people don’t follow laws. But those facts shouldn’t stop us from taking small steps in pursuit of both safety and freedom. Gun violence in all of its forms (assassination attempts, school shootings, gang violence) should be unacceptable. We should work together to problem solve instead of just shrugging and saying “oh well”.
Rachel, here are my thought.
Background checks — When I bought my gun, they did a background check on me. So it seems like that’s already being done.
Alerts to local law enforcement of failed background checks — I just looked up the reasons why people would fail a background check, and they all seem to be legal reason, like having a criminal record, domestic violence, drug-related issues, etc. I think it would be a very good idea to alert local law enforcement when those people try to purchase a firearm.
Prevent gun trafficking — I’m pretty sure that gun trafficking is already against the law, so I don’t know what else can be done other than upholding the law. If there’s some sort of gun trafficking that isn’t already covered with existing laws, then certainly, we need a law passed.
Provide an easy way to report lost and stolen guns — that sounds very reasonable.
Consider yourself fortunate for the time being that your country hasn’t been overcome, because it could come to that, and we in America know that.
School shootings came from children not honoring God, the liberal ideology of if it feels good do it kind of mentality. They were immersing themselves in violent video games, violent movies and songs/music. And now it has ramped up to the trans contagion for children to be mutilated and sterilized. This insanity is coming from the left, and “whatever, whomever” is feeding that is evil. I’m not a party person, and it’s a shame the world is so divided, but there will always be right and wrong, light and darkness, good and evil. And I refuse to compromise in the face of evil.
I have felt so much more emboldened in my faith also! I feel so burdened by the state of our country. My prayer is that this tragedy will make a profound difference!
I’m with you sister. Thankyou for your discernment to see the wider implications of this past week…and your boldness to follow Him no matter what the cost. At the risk of sounding patronizing…I’m proud of you. You have a platform and you’re using it for good.
Thank you Kristi. Important information for ones that need to have God in their lives. I will look forward to checking out the Ligonier ministries. I need more Bible study and a renewal in my Christian life. You are a true blessing in so many ways. ♥️
I think why I still find myself crying over the loss of Charlie Kirk is that he was so gentle. He was firm in his faith and beliefs, but always wanted to have a dialog, with anyone.
You nailed it about why those celebrating the death of this gentle man need to be removed from any job that requires those of us who may agree with his positions to come into contact with them. Very well said. Thank you.
❤️
Well said Kristi. I’m one of those people who found that I was not suited for sitting in a building one day a week for worship. Being a nurse and frequently working 2 jobs, I had to find my own way. Many times I sat with a dying patient and prayed with them. I look back at my turbulent life and see where Jesus’ hand was on me. So many things I thought I needed or wanted were denied but in hindsight Jesus said now is not the time. Everything that I was guided to do worked the best for me. I never saw this when I was a young person but I always tried to do the right thing. The first grief I ever felt was the death of my husband in 2019. Now I’m on my own and praying for Jesus to look after me. He’s done a fine job so far. This week has been very depressing.
After reading other posts, there is something I would like to say about George Floyd. First off, he had enough drugs in him to kill a horse, incl cocaine. We do use liquid cocaine in hospitals, particularly to stop bleeding in the nose and mouth. Cocaine is a very powerful stimulant that constricts blood vessels. Secondly, when he was taken down by the police and supposedly had a knee on his throat, I can assure you that if you can talk, you are breathing! However, if you are excited and fighting, your heart will be racing. In the presence of cocaine, that can cause an arrhythmia and cause the heart to stop, which is what happened. He didn’t die on the road, he died in the hospital.
Thank you Crystal.
Thank you!
Another great free resource is the Bible app. (It’s red with a gold cross.) It has many different translations of the Bible along with a variety of reading plans on various topics and books.
Amen and amen! God bless you for speaking the truth in love.
I applaud your decision to use your voice in this way. I feel that, in many ways, those that claim to love God have abdicated their responsibility to our children and mankind in general because we were told that politics and religion were taboo topics for conversation. Political issues are just really values and worldviews in action. I have long urged people to courageously speak up and stand for truth because the forces of evil certainly haven’t kept quiet and have been vigorously manipulating and indoctrinating our youth and country. Of course, I have been censored and slapped down enough for speaking out (not that I care, since God’s opinion of me is what matters) even though I have not been hateful or made personal attacks, as are made towards us. Evil is just not going to like truth so the battle will not be pleasant. We just always remember it is about the love God demands of us to show our fellow man.
Thank you Kristi…for not ignoring the painful loss of Charlie Kirk. And the other tragedies of just this past week…let alone the last year/years. It is impossible for me to watch as well. I just won’t. I have been without a church most of my adult life. I don’t believe there is one where I belong, nor would be completely comfortable. I have a ton to learn, I realize. Not sure if I can. I consider myself to be a “good person.” but I know I need more. I am ill right now, but if not for that I would have walked into ANY church last Sunday to pray for all of us. Thank you for the information, and especially the post that we all needed today.
I personally thank you for standing up and professing your faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I have made a decision to be bold in my faith also! To me, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, it’s what my Lord says! I will serve Him! Regardless of whether you agreed with Charlie Kirk or not, he did not deserve an assassin’s bullet!
I, too, have been horribly haunted by the shooting of Charlie Kirk. And I’m heartbroken by the reaction and how social media is dividing us. Regardless of what you think of Charlie Kirk and who he is or isn’t, the reality is that depending on social media algorithms and bubbles people are seeing entirely two different realities, which is so evident in this post and the many comments. Some of us are only seeing his Christian messages and people celebrating his death; they are feeling like their Christian values are under attack. Others are only seeing his racist, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ messages and people condoning his death while not supporting his messages; they are feeling like racism and sexism are out of control. The problem is that no one is seeing both sides–only one. Is it no wonder we’re divided?
It also appears as though his shooter, like most of the recent shooters, was radicalized by far-right influences online. He came from a Mormon, conservative family. We don’t know for sure why he did it yet, but it appears as though he may have been a follower of Nick Fuentes, who hated Charlie Kirk because he wasn’t far-right enough, NOT because he was a Christian. So why has all of our focus been on Charlie Kirk’s Christianity rather than stopping this radicalization of our young adult men?
There are a lot of incentives for social media companies to have us be divided right now and for folks to post extreme, awful content that generates lots of clicks, like that horrifying t-shirt. I think the reality is that most, if not all of us, agree more than we disagree. We’re horrified by his killing AND we dislike messages that are against any of us, whether that’s because of race, sex, religion, or sexual identity. But please, please try to recognize the online influences and media that are stoking the divisive rhetoric we’re seeing right now. Those are the forces we need to be fighting, not each other.
I have to come back to correct this post. My bubble again served me incomplete and biased information–the theory about him following Nick Fuentes is based on very, very little evidence, if any at all. We still don’t have a complete picture of the shooter at all or his motives beyond his statement about hatred. We’re all struggling to make sense out of this horrible act. This division in our information impacts our perceptions of events and makes it much, much worse. We should all try to move beyond our bubbles and have grace towards others’ reactions*, since we’re not all coming from the same space. (*Genuine reactions, not trolling click bait).
Thank you.
Amen!! In total agreement with everything you said. We will not be silent.
Amen Kristi!
What more can be said really, but Amen!
Thank you for sharing.
I went to your site to see something beautiful before ending my day, and I almost cried upon seeing your post image. The absolute hatred and lies are very close to me, and instead of seeing a beautiful house, I saw gorgeous scripture. I needed it. Thank you and God bless!
Well said. I totally agree.
Amen, sister! Thank you for sharing ❤️
Amen! Thank you.
Thank you, thank you❤️❤️
Thank you for your bold words🙏
Thank you girl! I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you!!! I have been feeling the exact same way. Definitely feeling closer to my faith, and pray that God continues to use Charlie’s legacy for good.
Thank you Kristi. I’d like to add The Bible in a Year podcast.
Thank you, Kristi.
Thank you for the awesome and needed post, was very heartfelt and shared.
I agree that Charlie Kirk wasn’t the way the left is painting him. He was a great debater, and challenged students to think for themselves, and not to parrot others, especially lies. Some came there to debate him just to see if they could prove him wrong, but couldn’t, and some came for an actual learning experience, and there was those that obviously came to just spew hate.
People either forget, or don’t know, that Jesus himself had no problem putting the Pharisees in their place while correcting them when necessary. Sometimes being honest, even if the truth seems brutal to one’s feelings, is the kindest thing you can do for people.
Again, thank you for sharing your faith.
God Bless you for your courage Kristi.
I have been reading your blog for years upon years. This is the second time I have ever posted a comment. The first time was back in the day when you were on the cusp of quitting the blog. Thankfully you did not quit.
Thank you for this post. I appreciate your courage and humility. We are standing with you.
Kristi,
I am 76 years old. Right now in these past years l am thankful that l don’t have many years left to watch the horror this world has become. I don’t watch TV or follow any social media except Facebook. It’s where l keep in touch with family artist and sewing events. I want to live in peace as much as possible. As far as l understand, this man was using his freedom of speech. We do still all have that right as far as l know.
I love your blog as it has helped me so much in fixing my home that renters destroyed. I pray for Matt and also that you continue to have the strength to care for him with love.
SANDY
Thanks Kristi.
Lots of interesting comments.
Charlie Kirk shared Christ in a courageous way, but he was not Jesus. We follow Jesus. Charlie had awesome beliefs, and some that don’t align with what I believe– but who cares. We are all on a unique journey trying to become more like JESUS. Fix your eyes on him.
If you look, you will find Charlie was pointing people to Jesus, and had his eyes fixed on Him.
There was an interesting conversation on YT with Michael Knowles (Catholic), in which Charlie points up that the most important thing is bringing people to Jesus.
If you or anyone else would like, I will find it again and link it.
Yes, I watched that yesterday. Was really good.
Thank you for this, Kristi.
So well written. The world has become a scary place we live. May God have mercy on us all. ❤️
Thank you for this – very well said. I don’t care how far left or right you are, or how much you dislike one side or the other – NO ONE deserves to be murdered, especially in front of their spouse and children. Evil people are showing their true colors right now. I appreciate you standing up for your (our!) beliefs. ❤️
My sister, you underestimate the light you have shown to the world. I agree we can all shine brighter and go from glory to glory. Thank you for reminding us to witness bravely.
AMEN!!
Well said! Thank you.
Amen! I’m appalled by the evil of these acts, but God WILL be glorified. It’s incredible to watch Charlie’s message be exploded to a HUGE audience. Thank you for choosing to be bold about our faith. Thank you for offering a clear plan of salvation and resources. I love your blog, but I’ve never been so excited about a post before!❤️
THANK YOU!
Good for you, Kristi! I truly admire your boldness in this post. While I’ve picked up on the fact that you are a believer before, I love that you’re coming right out and saying it, completely unashamed and leaving no room for doubt. I know that God will reward you for using your platform to do that for Him.
I am a born-again believer in Jesus Christ as well (also Baptist, but that’s not so important), and the events of this past week have made me want to tell everyone I know how to be saved. Charlie Kirk was such an inspiration during his short life, but even more so in his death. What a testimony he had, and what an impact he made on this world for Jesus! I am so proud to have claimed my own salvation from the same Lord that Charlie did. I just pray we can pick up where Charlie left off, and finish the race before us with strength, boldness, and an urgency to bring others to Christ.
If I never get to meet you in this life, we will meet in eternity one day, and I think that is such an exciting prospect! We’ll have to help each other decorate our mansions. I can’t wait for that. 🙂
With love in Christ,
Amanda
Thank you
Wow wow wow!!! Yes Kristi!! I’ve been following your blog for over 10 years and I was saved four years ago at the age of 57. I was not raised know a loving and merciful God but during the political upheavals of 2021 and the evil permeating our culture, a conservative podcaster Christian told me about Jesus and my spirit recognized the truth of that message. My husband was saved a year later and we’ve witnessed the miraculous healing power of Christ in our marriage and our lives. Charlie’s martyrdom- dying under a sign that read “Jesus is Lord” has inspired us to take the great commission as a command and not an option. I turn 61 in a couple of weeks and we will celebrate that day evangelizing at a local fall festival. You may lose some followers, but my sister, you are storing your treasures in heaven. God only knows who you will touch through your blog. Blessings to you. John 3:16
I loved reading your testimony! Praise God! And I’m so glad to hear about your husband as well.
I’m so proud of you for posting this! I have followed you for a long time, constantly impressed by your creative talent, discipline and tenacity.
When you started this post, I thought to myself “Oh no! Another person I’ve enjoyed watching and now will be unfollowing”. Your post did the exact opposite for me – I’m so proud of you and look forward to to watching your voice grow, your platform grow and your beautiful home and husband be blessed abundantly!!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼Well Done👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Hi Kristi,
Thank you for your post.
Today I have been intentional with checking some blogs I follow, but had skipped in the past week because I didn’t want anymore dissappontent from people who I thought would feel the same as me with Charlie’s death and the circumstances surrounding it.
Social media has been eye-opening in the wake of his assassination and it’s left me bewildered, shocked, angry and sad, all the emotions wrapped inside my gut.
As a fellow Christian, this past week has felt heavy. It’s felt dirty. I have felt outrage but also resolve. There is such an underlying evil at play in our country right now and seeing it play out in real time has been disturbing, to say the least.
I’m probably old enough to be your mother (or close to it) but I did follow Charlie Kirk and TPUSA because I throughly enjoyed watching him debate. He wore his convictions openly on his shirt sleeves and with such love for God it was impossible for me to ignore him, plus my own kids are his age so I found him compelling.
My husband’s family has owned and operated a family business for over 50+ years. We understand the importance of not oversharing our opinions on social media because our customer’s are very important to us, no matter their backgrounds, skin color, or political affliation, we want to offer our best to them at all times.
Last Wednesday changed our mood.
Going forward we have embraced our Christian values – our employee’s have listened to our choice to be more open in our faith and they have been encouraged to do the same if they wish to do so. I’ve shared more about my faith on social media than I have in years. Was it unsettling for me? Kinda, at first, but the roof didn’t fall on my head, the floor didn’t suck me into a dark hole. I lost some “friends” but honestly, I don’t care like I thought I would. God didn’t create us to be fearful, He created us to be fearless.
Thank you again for this post. Probably the best post you’ve ever written because you shared your faith with us. At the end of the day, it isn’t the closet rebuild or the color of our walls that matter (although it’s super fun!) it’s being a part of a larger project; Christian’s coming together. Proclaiming our love of God and recognizing we all can do better. I defiantly learned that from a young man who loved God above all else.
Ssending love from the Texas panhandle xo
Praise God!🙌🏻
I have been following you for YEARS and it is so refreshing to hear you proclaim your faith in this way! I too have been impacted just as you described and have made the decision to be bolder in my faith to everyone around me. To live out my faith in Jesus even louder. Thank you for your boldness in speaking out and I am praying in agreement with you for this fallen world to come to know Jesus as their person Lord and Savior!
I am hanging on to God’s promises and resting in His word.
Philippians 4:4-9 is a Bible verse I am brought to at this time.❤️
This post about how people aren’t willing to watch a whole speech but want to just cherry pick what they want to hear reminded me how much I appreciated your post and as you say to some of the people taking things out of context — providing the proof [that Charlie was a racist or whatever] is on them — and usually can’t be done.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19wtMfj2nD/
Kristi,
I am so glad, thrilled, encouraged and strengthened that you posted this!
I have been thinking about it often since I read it.
I noticed you discussed how you had wanted your blog to be a place of respite.
Isn’t it ironic that although you wanted to provide this place of respite you had felt you shouldn’t share what you knew to be THE Source and Place of respite – the Lord Jesus, Our Savior!
Silent no more – Courage in our faith!
Not to harrass, of course! But to provide an opportunity for ALL to hear the truth of our sins and our Savior.
So that at judgement day, no one we know can look at us as they stand before God in their unsaved sins and say – But, (Your Name) you didn’t tell me.
Doubters, please, please don’t leave it too late to be SURE. You really don’t want to be wrong on this one! God is real, and He DOES want you. Please don’t miss out!
God bless you Kristi, and all who read this,
Marie
Kristi, I pray the Lord will encourage you. I knew you were a believer from before and I encourage you for being bold to share about Jesus and who He is. Thank you.
My next is a comment to everyone.
I confess I knew very little about Charlie Kirk yet I felt sad after hearing about this too. One of the first thoughts that came to me after hearing his passing was “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church”. Also, of Steven, the first martyr told of in the book of Acts. He was stoned as “blasphemer” and another man named Saul looked upon it with approval as he guarded the coats. And you know who he became?
Paul. Yup, the apostle Paul.
Once a proud Jew who hated the Christians, he became the guy who spread Christ all over Asia Minor and Europle and Rome. He suffered for Christ and saw Him in the third Heaven. The books he wrote in the Bible, now Scripture, encourage Christians today.
So those haters? Some may will become on FIRE for the Lord.
Some indeed will.
Perusing these posts, now is not the time to get caught up in the morass of gun laws, what media says, who Charlie was or wasn’t and the crap of division…but to look forward and prepare for Revival. I am among those Christians who believe a revival is coming, in fact, it’s likely already beginning and upon us now. As Kristi says, there’s crap in the world and it’s horribly sad, but truth is there are hundreds of spiritually hungry people out there, especially young people…if you are in the Church, get ready!
Mend your nets! Be ready to shine the light!!!
I quote this from Dutch Sheets, 9.16 post from “Give Him 15”:
“Wake up and see what is coming!!! Yes, there will be opposition; there may be more martyrs here in America, just as there are now in other nations. But this will not stop what God is doing; a generation is being raised up who will love not their lives, even unto death (Revelation 12:11). Just like Charlie, they will gladly pay whatever price is necessary for the cause of Christ. The greatest world-changing generation the world has ever seen is now being raised up. This is what people mean when they say “There will be a million more Charlie Kirks.” They are not saying that people will try to emulate his gifts and methods, but that they will follow his example of commitment, boldness, fearlessness, love for Christ and His cause. ”
Are you ready? You wanna be? Let’s do this!!! People are hungry for Christ and His presence and His love. His Word. His Ways.
Finally as a church suggestion for anyone in the Houston TX area I recommend checking out Pastor Jason Sciscoe and The Church Triumphant in Pasadena, TX. You can find his teachings on You Tube.
Like they say, “There is nothing new under the sun.”
But God. (He makes all things new) PEACE!
Paul who wrote letters in the NT and converted 100s in the latter half of Acts, suffered for
(Acts 6-7) was stoned, a man Saul approved it,
I have enjoyed and learned so much from your posts over the many years I’ve followed your blog. Your talents and bravery in tackling new projects are amazing. You have made no secret of your faith. You support of your husband is laudable. I applaud you for all of this.
I am, therefore, quite surprised at your backing of a man who said that Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson were “affirmative action picks” and that they “do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. (They) had to go steal a white person’s slot to go be taken somewhat seriously.” These two statements alone are enough to make me seriously doubt Mr. Kirk’s claim to be a Christian. I’ve read the “contexts” and nothing will ever make me understand how he can be respected after saying such horrible things, much less make a living from provoking college students. His death was dreadful, as well as the thousands who die every year from gun violence. He promoted verbal violence, which I find equally abhorrent and growing as rapidly as gun violence. There is freedom of speech and then there is derogatory, hate-filled, practiced rhetoric meant to inflame others.
This quote you are using was taken out of Context. Listen to Megyn Kelly go thru the Lies told about Charlie Kirk. The media has become the Liars for those without ideas to improve the country.
There was a time when I held my faith close to my heart and didn’t share. Then, several years ago I was diagnosed with leukemia and then trigeminal neuralgia. My faith journey and my health journey are intertwined and I cannot speak about one without the other. I crawled to the foot of the cross broken and bleeding. I share my faith and my journey with anyone who stands still more than five seconds. When Charlie was assassinated, I made the choice to speak up even more. When I meet my Lord and Savoir, I do not want him to ask me why I hid my faith. We all need to step up. There is a spiritual war going on and evil is walking the earth. Charlie knew. We know. He did something about it. It’s our turn, no matter our age. Thank you for writing this message.