A little ‘cross-over’ content with the cover image today. I don’t know if this is true, but the protests in Iran seem to be losing steam. I hope that I am wrong. The regime needs to fall. Too many have died, and the Persian people deserve freedom. I have spent the last couple of weeks listening to podcasts about Iran and the Persian empire. They have a vibrant and rich history that should be shared with the world and not wrapped in the repressive fundamentalism of the regime. My heart is heavy for those who have lost their lives. If you are into podcasts, I have embedded some good ones at the end of this post. They have you covered from the Persian Empire (Fall of Civilizations) to the Making of Modern Iran (Breaking History) to what comes next (School of War). I hope you can give them a listen.
As a reminder, Lunch Box Quotes are notes I include in the kids’ lunches every day. Number 1 gets a text, but 2-4 get a handwritten napkin. And we are in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I am intermittent fasting with 1 meal per day, no alcohol, and no social media/news after 6 p.m.
Visual credits to: Featured image – @Realneo101 Quotes: @WesleyLHuff @Native3rd @Pergament_F @fraveris
Quotes:
1. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” – Abraham Lincoln.
He was quoting Theodore Parker (19th century), who was quoting John Wycliffe (13th century). who said:
“When we put the Bible in the hands of ordinary people, then you have a chance of government, of the people, by the people, for the people, because the Bible will be the foundation for self-government and self-rule. And without that, freedom will be impossible.” – John Wycliffe
2. “From nowhere we came; into nowhere we go. What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.” – Crowfoot, Blackfoot Chief, 1890
3. “That which secures life from exhaustion lies in the unseen world, deep at the roots of things.” – Rudolf Steiner
4. “No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anyone but oneself.” – Virginia Woolf
21 Days of Prayer and Fasting – Day 12
1 Peter 1:13-25; 1 Corinthians 13:13
Note: (These notes are a combination of the notes from my Bible, the study guide, and my thoughts. Mostly, though, they are the work of others, just rearranged.) We are to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd. Our focus and priorities must be His. We need to be mentally alert, disciplined, and focused. God ransomed us from the tyranny of sin with the blood of His Son. We cannot escape from sin on our own and must stop grasping the temporary. Hope rooted in Christ frees us from clinging to what cannot last and anchors us in what can never fade. Focus on eternity, the Word of God, and our eternal life in Christ. Faith is the foundation and the content of God’s message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is action. The way we love one another is the fruit of our devotion to God.
Fasting: Not eating is hard, and not filling up downtime with scrolling is harder. I’ve fallen off the wagon with my phone.
Prayer: Dear Lord, give me the focus to fix my gaze on You. Shine a light on my ‘old ways’ and set my heart for compassion. Purify my motives and let my actions be a light for You.
-Amen
Sources:
“So people quote Abraham Lincoln, ‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people.’ They forget he’s quoting Theodore Parker in the 19th century, who was quoting of all people, John Wycliffe in the 13th century. And Wycliffe is saying, when we put the Bible in the hands…
— Wes Huff (@WesleyLHuff) January 10, 2026
“From nowhere we came; into nowhere we go. What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”
⁰~ Crowfoot, Blackfoot Chief, 1890 pic.twitter.com/tG4ijufq17— Native Red Cloud🪶Maȟpíya Lúta~Hińhan Wakangli⚡️🦉 (@Native3rd) January 15, 2026
“That which secures life from exhaustion lies in the unseen world, deep at the roots of things.”
Rudolf Steiner pic.twitter.com/MZkFaXZzgx— Sophia Proneikos (@Pergament_F) January 13, 2026
“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anyone but oneself.”
– Virginia Woolf
(https://t.co/hzUz1q4h93) pic.twitter.com/W7dyAYBLra
— Francisco Ribeiro (@fraveris) January 12, 2026