Time To Dethrone Governor Newsom
Despite California’s reputation as a deeply liberal state, there are plenty of people who refuse to go down without a fight — and that fight will be a fair one. The era of political dynasties and their hand-picked successors ruling this state unchallenged has gone on far too long, and the patience of faithful Californians is running out.
1 Samuel 9:2 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no other Israelite more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Governor Newsom calls to mind a modern-day King Saul. Tall, handsome, and beloved by his people, Saul thought himself invincible — until the moment he disobeyed God and was stripped of his kingdom. It takes more than good looks and political charisma to govern well. And by that measure, Newsom has failed California.
The infiltration of ideologically driven curricula into California’s public schools — including the imposition of Critical Race Theory — has bypassed parents, undermined objective truth, and turned classrooms into ideological battlegrounds. The border crisis, long simmering on the back burner, is approaching a full boil, and the lack of serious leadership at the state level has only made it worse.
The misuse of federal and state dollars — extending dependency rather than opportunity — has not lifted people up. It has kept them down. When government aid becomes a substitute for work rather than a bridge back to it, the result is not compassion. It is control. And the consequences ripple outward: businesses absorbing the weight of inflation, forced to raise wages not because the economy is thriving but because the cost of living has been artificially driven up. Those costs pass to consumers. And in the end, every Californian bears the financial burden of policies that were sold as generosity but function as dependency.
King Saul’s downfall was not his enemies — it was his own disobedience and pride. The lesson has not changed. Leadership without accountability to truth — or to God — does not end well. California deserves better, and there are plenty of people here who know it.
A question worth sitting with: King Saul was given every gift needed to lead well — and still fell. What does that say about the difference between talent and virtue in those who hold power over others?
Last week the recall ballot arrived — and with it, a genuine sense of hope, along with no small amount of confusion. The desire to see Governor Newsom removed from office is clear. Who should replace him is less so, and that discernment is still a matter of prayer.
What has become clear, however, is what the media’s response to the leading candidates reveals. The concentrated effort to smear Larry Elder’s character and dismantle his campaign tells its own story: he is a threat. That kind of attention from the press is not random — it is strategic, and it is telling.
Perhaps the most revealing attack has been the claim that Elder is Black only in skin color. Let that sink in. For decades, the political left has claimed to champion the advancement of Black Americans — and the moment one rises to prominence with the wrong set of views, the mask slips. His values do not fit the approved narrative, so his identity is dismissed. That is not advocacy. That is control.
One issue in particular demands serious attention: Elder’s stated intention to take on the California Teachers Union. It is past time. This is not a fight against teachers — the vast majority of whom are dedicated, hardworking people. It is a fight against an organization that has placed its own institutional interests above the welfare of children and the rights of parents. Parents are not stakeholders in their children’s education — they are the primary educators. The Church has always taught this. It is time for policy to reflect it.
Taking on that Goliath will not be easy. But David did not wait for a more convenient moment.
The Ballot
If conservatives really want this recall to succeed, we need to be united. How can this happen with 24 Republicans on the ballot? There are nine Democrats, two Greens, one Libertarian and ten Nones. Of all these names I am familiar with only two: Larry Elder and Caitlyn Jenner. Bruce Jenner has always been a conservative so I imagine that despite his new “they/them” his conservative views remain the same. The “Nones” really are a big concern because they are like wolves in sheep’s clothing; three of them are involved in education. I have eliminated all but two: Larry Elder and maybe John Cox. As much as I would like to write in a certain candidate, it would be a lost cause.
The Ballot
If conservatives really want this recall to succeed, we need to be united. How can this happen with 24 Republicans on the ballot? There are nine Democrats, two Greens, one Libertarian and ten Nones. Of all these names I am familiar with only two: Larry Elder and Caitlyn Jenner. Bruce Jenner has always been a conservative so I imagine that despite his new “they/them” his conservative views remain the same. The “Nones” really are a big concern because they are like wolves in sheep’s clothing; three of them are involved in education. I have eliminated all but two: Larry Elder and maybe John Cox. As much as I would like to write in a certain candidate, it would be a lost cause.
1 Samuel 8:6-7 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Can we not see what is unfolding around us? To many, it is unmistakable: God has permitted these trials to take place — not out of indifference, but out of providence. Did the pandemic shake us awake? The fires, the hurricanes, the earthquakes, the collapse of nations — have these calamities brought the soul to its knees, or has the noise of the world drowned out what God is saying through them?
Scripture is not silent on this. Throughout salvation history, God has used suffering, disorder, and consequence to call His people back. The question is never whether He is speaking — the question is whether anyone is listening.
The way of the world is despair. But despair is not the last word. Hope is. And that hope — not the shallow optimism of politics, but the theological virtue rooted in God’s faithfulness — is what remains on the horizon for California, no matter how dark the present moment appears.
No evil is wished upon Governor Newsom. Every soul is made in the image and likeness of God, and that dignity demands charity even toward those whose governance has caused serious harm. But charity does not require silence. Newsom has allowed disastrous policies to take root in this state — policies that have harmed families, undermined parental rights, deepened dependency, and left the most vulnerable without adequate protection. That record demands accountability, regardless of how the recall concludes.
A name can survive an election loss. It cannot as easily survive the verdict of history — especially when that history is written honestly. If it is, Newsom’s tenure will be remembered the way King Saul’s was: a leader given every advantage, who chose his own path over the one God required, and paid the price for it.
The door for repentance is always open. But so is the door of consequence.
Saul’s Death
The story of King Saul does not end well — and it was not meant to.
After God anointed David as the true king, Saul refused to relinquish his grip on power. He continued fighting battles he was no longer appointed to win, clinging to a kingdom that had already been taken from him — not by an enemy, but by his own disobedience. When the prophet Samuel died and God fell silent in response to Saul’s pleas, Saul did the unthinkable: he sought out the Witch of Endor, a medium, to conjure Samuel’s spirit from the dead. It was a final, desperate act of a man who had long since stopped trusting God and started trusting himself.
The parallel is worth sitting with. When leaders exhaust the counsel of the wise and find themselves without answers, the temptation is not to turn back to God — it is to turn to whatever voice promises relief. The question worth asking of any leader in crisis is not just what they are doing, but whom they are consulting. Policy does not emerge from a vacuum. It reflects the voices a leader has decided to trust.
Saul’s story ends on the battlefield at Mount Gilboa — surrounded, defeated, and without hope. Out of despair, he fell on his own sword. It was not the death of a warrior. It was the death of a man who had chosen fear over faith at every critical moment, until there were no more moments left.
The lesson is not one of condemnation — it is one of warning. Power without
1 Samuel 31:4 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through; otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me.” But the armor-bearer, badly frightened, refused, so Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
My Prayer
Dear Lord,
Grant us Your wisdom in this recall election. May we, as Your children, be obedient to Your Word and not to the voices of the world. Guide each voter to choose rightly — not according to preference or fear, but according to what is true, just, and pleasing in Your eyes.
Lord, You are the God who brings hidden things to light. Just as You exposed the actions of those in power who have harmed the innocent, turn that same light upon the governance of our state. Let nothing that has been done in darkness remain concealed.
Prick the conscience of Governor Newsom, Lord. May he come to understand not only why he is being recalled, but why every act of leadership will one day be held to account before You. Soften his heart. Open his eyes. And if it is Your will, use this moment to call him back — not merely to better governance, but to You.
We place this election, this state, and its people in Your hands. Your will be done.
Amen.
Angel Encounters
The Catholic Church acknowledges the name of three of the seven Archangels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael. These three Archangels are the only angels named in Scripture. The remaining four Archangels appear in Christian and Jewish sources outside the canon of Sacred Scripture. They are: Uriel, Raguel, Zerachiel and Ramiel. The Greek meaning of angels is “messengers”; the meaning of arch is”highest”.
St. Michael
St. Michael’s name means “Who is like God.” St. Michael’s four responsibilities:
- To combat Satan;
- To escort the faithful to heaven at their hour of death;
- To be a champion of all Christians and the Church itself; and
- To call men from life on earth to their heavenly judgment.
On October 13, 1884, Pope Leo XII had a diabolical vision. After celebrating Mass in a private Vatican Chapel, attended by members of the Vatican staff and a few Cardinals, Pope Leo stopped at the foot of the altar and fell into a trance. He heard the voice of Satan speaking to God about destroying the Church. After the vision Pope Leo went immediately to his office and composed the St. Michael’s prayer. This prayer is to be recited after every low Mass.
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
St. Michael is the patron saint of soldiers, police officers, grocers, mariners, sickness and doctors.
St. Gabriel
St. Gabriel’s name means “Power of God.” St. Gabriel the Archangel is found by name three times in the Catholic Bible; once in the Old Testament and twice in the New Testament. In the Book of Daniel, St. Gabriel foretold the coming of the Messiah. In the New Testament St. Gabriel first appears to Zechariah to announce the birth of St. John the Baptist, who was chosen to prepare the way of the Lord. He is then sent to the Virgin Mary to announce the birth of Jesus Christ.
St. Gabriel is the patron saint of messengers, telecommunication workers, and postal workers.
Luke 1:28-31 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
St. Raphael
St. Raphael’s name means “God heals.” St. Raphael is mentioned in the book of Tobit. He is disguised in human form. He was sent to protect Tobit’s son Tobias and to heal his wife. Tobit’s eyes were restored by his son Tobias (Tobit 11:10-12). The former Catholic priest Martin Luther removed the book of Tobit from the canonical table of contents. For this reason Protestants will not have this book in their Bibles.
St. Raphael is the patron saint of the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians and travelers.
Tobit 12:14-15 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
14 I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. 15 I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord.
My Angelic Encounter
Whenever I traveled to the Holy Land, I always collected prayer requests. Some of these petitions came with specific instructions as to where the person wants them left. I had several prayer requests that needed to be left at the Church of The Holy Sepulcher in the Old City. I was sharing this information with my friend Pat, she mentioned that she had some petitions for the same place. It was our last night in Jerusalem, and we were leaving for the airport around noon. The Church of The Holy Sepulcher opens at 6:30 a.m., so Pat and I devised a plan. We decided to get up early and take a taxi to the Old City. We were on a mission to pray and leave the prayer requests at the Tomb of Jesus. We did not share this with anyone on the team. When the taxi driver arrived, we told him where we needed to go. The man did not understand any English, and between Pat and me, we only knew one Arabic word. The driver dropped us off at the Damascus Gate, which is the main entrance to the Muslim quarters. This gate was unfamiliar to us, the gates we use and are familiar with are: the Jaffa Gate, the Lions Gate and the Dung Gate.
It was early morning, so I could smell the strong Arabic coffee brewing in private homes. Both Pat and I know the Old City pretty well, but this gate was throwing us off. We walked in deeper and still had no real direction as to where we were or where we were headed. Suddenly, a loud, rowdy group of young Arab men coming in from a late night were headed our direction. We were sitting ducks and did not know where to turn to avoid this uncomfortable encounter. Then suddenly a man appeared from out of nowhere. “What are you doing here?” he asked. I told him that we needed to go to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Without hesitation, he said, “Follow me.” Without consulting or questioning, Pat and I followed the man.
The Angel
The man led us out of the Damascus Gate, and we walked a distance outside the city walls until we reached the New Gate. From there we followed him through the fresh meat section of the Old City. When we reached the end of the corridor the man raised his arm and pointed to the right. He said, “This is where you turn to get to the church, this is as far as I can go.” The Arabic man then disappeared. Both Pat and I came to the realization that we had had an encounter with an angel. We walked into an almost empty church, where we prayed for several hours. We completed our mission by leaving the prayer requests at the Tomb of Jesus.
Torie’s Angels
Our nephew Torie suffers from cluster headaches. This type of headaches are also referred to as “suicide headaches.” These headaches are a lot more intense than a migraine. To seek refuge from this pain, Torie would look for the darkest room of his house; even the slightest light would intensify the pain. These headaches cause vomiting. Torie was in the bathroom and laying on the floor after vomiting, He was praying the Hail Mary, and could not get up on his own will. Suddenly he felt his arm was being pulled; he counted seven angels. The angels led him to his bed where he slept until the pain subsided. Please pray for Torie, he has not experienced a cluster headache in six years.
My Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for sending Your holy angels to assist us in daily matters. Lord, I pray that we could experience the sound of Your holy choir and feel Your holy presence as they worship You. I ask special protection over our country. Bring unity and restore this wonderful nation. Amen.
What is Your Purpose?
It was in 2003, and Father’s Day was fast approaching. I was looking for a gift for Mike. At that time I was attending a Catholic lay ministry located in Brea, California. Not far from the ministry was a Christian bookstore. I walked in and looked around for that special gift. A young salesman approached me and asked if I needed any help. When I explained, he suggested I purchase the book “The Purpose Driven Life.”
I had never heard of Rick Warren, the author of “The Purpose Driven Life”, nor did I know about his ministry. This book has sold over 34 million copies and has been translated into 85 languages. Mike was one of the millions that enjoyed the book. This book was published in 2002, catapulting Saddle Back Church into becoming a mega church. People were transformed because of Pastor Warren’s writings. This book was inspired by God; many Bible references are proof of that.
Every Moment of Your Life Matters
On a family vacation we invited our nephew Freddie. Freddie and Mikos were about eleven-years old. While we were swimming in Bass Lake, Freddie pointed to a kid and said, “Tia, I think that kid is drowning!” I looked over and said, “I don’t think so.” Then Freddie went to the boy, grabbed him and pulled him out of the water. The boy was indeed about to drown. By the time Freddie reached the shore, the boy’s mother came screaming in panic. Freddie was placed there at that exact moment to save this child. Why did I not recognize the warning signs? It was because God was going to use Freddie for this purpose, not me.
If you are still wondering why you were put on earth, then you have not found your purpose. We were all created for a purpose; our birth was no accident. Some of us are born to loving families while others are not. What you experienced in your childhood will either make you stronger, or place you in the victim mentality.
As you grow into adulthood you are either equipped to face the problems of the world or to develop insecurities. These insecurities are solidified by Satan’s voice to remind you of your pasted sufferings. You place yourself in a limbo state of mind and blame others for your failures. God allows you to experience rejection so that you can grow from the experience. It is never too late to receive the gifts God has set aside for you. Until you realize this epiphany, nothing else matters; fame, success, personal goals are like making a wish and blowing on a dandelion.
James 4:14 New Catholic Bible
14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life, after all? For you are like a mist that appears for a brief time and then vanishes.
What matters is the tug in your heart, telling you something is missing. That void will remain in your spirit until you reconcile with God. Your purpose in life is to find the treasures and gifts from your Creator. I like to exercise and I know that’s good for my health, but I will never allow the obsession of vanity to take over my mind. Outward appearance is important, but an obsession with exercising destroys the balance of who you are inside. We must concentrate on our inward beauty as well. You may look great on the outside but to what avail if you are broken spiritually?
1 Timothy 4:8 New Catholic Bible
8 While physical training has some value, the benefits of godliness are unlimited, since it holds out promise not only for this life but also for the life to come.
Recognizing Our Creator
If you are a runner, you are a different breed. You run to clear your head, to fill your lungs with good air and to stay in shape. Running is a spiritual journey because your mind naturally goes into deep thought. My husband has always been a runner; not a day passes without him working out on the treadmill. Before the treadmill Mike would run up and down hills in our neighborhood. He runs one hour a day to stay healthy and to start his day with a good workout. This balances his life.
I love to go on long walks, taking in all of God’s beauty. My eyes feast on the brilliant colors of the blooming flowers and trees, and the scent that fills the soft breeze allows me to experience a whiff of another of God’s creations. All this was created by God for our enjoyment. How can anyone contest God’s creation?
Your Transformation
So how do you get there? We seek what makes us feel good, right? We use our God-given senses to start the long journey home. I know I’m on the right path, but many times the things of the world detour my journey.
Romans 12:2 New Catholic Bible
2 Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, so that you will be able to discern the will of God and to know what is good and acceptable and perfect.
If we keep our eyes on the road and focus on the destination, we will eventually arrive. The world is a noisy place, suffering from great pain, but the burdens that we all carry can easily be unloaded.
Matthew 11:28 New Catholic Bible
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest.
The Lord welcomes the brokenhearted, the downcast, the rejected. He takes us as we are. Allow Him to comfort you and to make you whole because when you are made whole, you can be mightily used by God. Our roads will never be straight, our lives will never be perfect, but one thing is for certain: you will have peace in all circumstances of your life
When I suffered from a severe case of COVID I never once got angry with God. Instead I drew closer to Him. I trusted that He would see me through this trial. The fear of the unknown was always looming, but through prayer all this was lifted. I have an assignment from God: to pray for others, to write about His wonderful deeds, and to be a witness of His love for others.
My Prayer:
From one of my favorite verses: Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lively, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”