Christmas Plus One: Good News And Grit

Christmas may be over, but we’re still counting the days with a grin—and counting the wins from a year that felt like a reset. We open with a culture-shifting story out of Washington: a packed, worship-forward Christmas show at the newly rebranded Trump Kennedy Center. Our guest, worship leader and pastor Charles Billingsley, takes us behind the scenes of how a six-week scramble turned into a sold-out celebration complete with a live nativity and a first-ever tree lighting. The most surprising moment? A request from organizers to add more worship and ensure the gospel was clearly shared on a major DC stage.

From there, we zoom out to the systems that shape culture: courts and policy. We break down an appeals court ruling that allows defunding Planned Parenthood under a key administration initiative, and we wrestle honestly with durability. Executive action can open doors, but lasting change requires law. That’s why we argue the next phase must be legislative—turning headline wins into structures that endure through future administrations.

We also look at America’s posture abroad. A decisive U.S. strike on ISIS in Syria sends a loud signal on deterrence and the defense of American lives. Then we examine a less visible battlefield: AI and ethics in modern warfare. A three-star general’s comments about America’s Judeo-Christian moral framework limiting certain uses of AI might sound like a constraint, but we make the case that values are a strategic advantage. Boundaries bolster legitimacy, alliance trust, and long-term strength—proof that principle and power can pull in the same direction.

If you’re hungry for a dose of hope grounded in real policy, real culture, and real deterrence, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review telling us which moment gave you the most hope. Your voice helps keep the momentum going.

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