My golly, it’s next year! Happy 2024! 

As Randy Robison writes about in his wonderful new inspiration piece “Buckle Up,” this year is going to be like riding a bull … on a boat in the middle of a stormy sea … while being pelted with snowballs. But there is a way to keep from being flung: Getting belted in with power of the Word.

Speaking of the Family Robison, our Founder James Robison dropped a New Year’s Eve message on us, called “The Lord Wants to Restore Us, If We’ll Return to Him.”

James ain’t done. He’s got a kick-off to 2024 message set to post in a couple hours. “In Order to Find Life and Share It, We Have to Lose Our Lives.”

Some Brew Resolutions

Joe Biden was asked while on his swank vacation in the Virgin Island what his New Year’s Resolution was. “To come back next year,” he replied. “That’s the biggest one right now.” Is that a plug for the Virgin Islands or a hope for a healthy year?

A reporter asks a vacationing Biden for his New Year’s resolution:

“To come back next year”

pic.twitter.com/8gUn7kxA2b

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) December 31, 2023

Here are our various New Year’s Resolutions of various seriousness …

We resolve to be more astounded that Joe Biden kept classified documents in his garage next to his prized Corvette than the fact people actually find room to park cars in their garage.

We resolve to continue calling what’s happening at the border a “dangerous invasion,” and Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas as “the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg of border security.”

We resolve to stop confusing the New York Times from the Babylon Bee.

We resolve to not poke fun at Jill Biden’s fashion sense … any more than is absolutely required.

We resolve to invent a highly-profitable drinking game based on how many times liberals call something a “threat to democracy” … while simultaneously destroying democracy.

We resolve to do a better job promoting Great American Family’s faith-filled Christmas movie line-up over the increasingly secular and woke Hallmark fare. And not just because I’m still mad at Hallmark for cancelling Mystery 101.

We resolve to not write about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce … unless Taylor kicks a field goal in overtime to give the Chiefs the Super Bowl.

We resolve to say “We told you so” with no trace of a smirk when more stuff dismissed as “conspiracy theories” come true.

We resolve to mention “slavery” if anybody asks about causes of the Civil War. (Actually, that’s Nikki Haley’s new New Year’s Resolution.)

We resolve to referee the 2024 election. But not like the referees in this weekend’s Cowboys-Lions game. (Is it just the old Redskins fan in me or do the Cowboys historically see a bunch of bad calls go their way?)

In all seriousness, this year will be year of testing and turmoil. Well, with two weeks for the Olympics where, God willing, the world will take a breather. We talk about resolutions, but this is a year for those of faith, who love freedom, to remain resolute. To refuse to waver and buckle. 

We resolve to try our mightiest every morning to bring illumination and levity, to not shy from the fight, but not fall into trap of malice or meanness. And to remain ever so grateful to you and the others who come to the Stream.

We hope you enjoy what we have coming in 2024. 

A Bit of Madness to Start the Year: USA Boxing To Allow Dudes to Fight Women

Now entering the ring, biological males against women in boxing. USA Boxing, the governing body for amateur boxing in the U.S.A., has a new policy going into effect today that will allow transgender males over 18 to compete against women. They just have to affirm their “gender identity,” have had sex change surgery and be tested for testosterone levels. Check off those boxes and they can fight in women’s competitions.  

Meanwhile, at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, even animals are now being given personal pronouns. The good news? The animal kingdom itself is too smart to fall for this nonsense. Good luck finding a buck who identifies as a doe.

This is in the Bay Area Discovery Museum in California. They’re adding nonbinary pronouns on their animal exhibits which is aimed at kids pic.twitter.com/WCjfHAm6Cu

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 31, 2023

A Bit of Hope to Start The Year: Pistons Win a Game

If you’ve had a rough go of it the past few months, perhaps this will give you a little spark to kick start the year. The Detroit Pistons won Saturday. If you’re not a basketball fan, you don’t know why that is a huge deal. The Pistons had lost an NBA record-breaking 28 games in a row. To provide some idea, the Boston Celtics have lost only 6 games all season. 28 games in a row. They were getting sympathy cards from the team that plays the Harlem Globetrotters.  However, on Saturday when the buzzer sounded the streak was over. The Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors 129-127.

A New Year’s Chuckle from the Babylon Bee

Miracle: God Graciously Allows Earth Full Of Sinful Humans To Complete Another Trip Around The Sun https://t.co/uEPiuo0Jh5 pic.twitter.com/y8KOw2UNLd

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) December 31, 2023

 

Along The Stream

Shane Idleman is back with “Going to War in ’24: Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough in 2024.”

Stream contributor Dwight Longenecker on “The Nigerian Massacres: A Grim Harvest for the Year.”

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and co-author of the counter-terrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.