Thank you for being here. Each week, I cover hot spots and critical threats that might affect our country, as well as keep you informed about our military. I end each show by sharing some scripture from the Bible (without being too pushy), and then talk about PTSD and depression (since life is hard and the veteran suicide rate is FAR too high).
My hope is you end each show better informed, less worried, and more optimistic (about both our country and your life).
Also, huge shout out to those of you whose paid subscriptions make it possible for me to devote time and resources to researching and compiling the news each week.
If you’d like to support the show:
You can subscribe with Substack: https://stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe
You can also now sign up at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stanrmitchell
Or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell): https://account.venmo.com/u/authorstanrmitchell
And there’s even a PayPal link you can use: https://paypal.me/StanRMitchell.
Finally, I’m still trying to grow the show. Please rate and leave comments on SPOTIFY, APPLE, or wherever you listen.
You can listen here, or you can find the podcast on your favorite channel below by searching for The View from the Front:
Timestamps:
Timestamp: 2:11. We do a terrible job reaching out to older folks around us, and now more than 16 million elderly Americans are living alone. Please reach out to those older folks who are around you. Be a light and blessing to them!
Timestamp: 6:54. The United States is preparing for a potentially very dangerous mission in the Middle East. I discuss.
Timestamp: 16:27. Former President Donald Trump made some controversial comments regarding Ukraine that I need to do a fact check on for the record (same as I was critical of President Biden for his botched withdrawal of Afghanistan).
Timestamp: 28:27. UK foreign minister David Lammy EVISCERATES Putin and his UN ambassador at the United Nations.
Timestamp: 33:19. The leader of NATO makes the case for why the West should continue to give Ukraine more weapons.
Timestamp: 34:59. What Professor Timothy Snyder thinks it will take for Russia to see peace.
Timestamp: 41:24. An update on the ammunition dump that Ukraine hit last week; plus details on a second ammo dump just hit.
Timestamp: 44:47. The Kursk Offensive has thrown Russia's Ukraine war strategy into chaos.
Timestamp: 51:02. Let’s cover some scripture from the Bible, which I hope will encourage you and ground you. I truly do desire to help lift you up.
Timestamp: 54:18. A few words for those who are dealing with depression, PTSD, or thoughts of suicide.
Timestamp: 1:00:29. Some final words of unity, as well as more information about me and my books.
Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.
U.S. news:
Israel calls up reservists, telling troops to prepare for Lebanon incursion
US troops deployed to Cyprus as fears of wider Middle East war intensify
Ukraine news:
A brief recap of the actual facts of the Russian invasion.
Update on Ukraine’s attack last week on the ammunition dump:
A second ammunition dump has been struck.
Ukrainian Drones Just Blew Up 2,000 Tons Of Ammo in Southern Russia
And a great reminder of a detail that apparently many in the Biden Administration want to ignore.
The Kursk Offensive has thrown Russia's Ukraine war strategy into chaos
Your reminder for the week, in case you duck the scripture in the next part: Be a part of community, if nothing else.
Your scripture for the week:
Let’s end the show with some scripture, because I know that life is hard and sometimes, you just need to hear something that will lift you up.
I always like to share some verses from the Bible, or quotes that touch on the Bible/Jesus, because my Christian faith has become such a source of strength and wisdom and calm for me during the past couple of years, since losing my Mom and now worrying an awful lot about my Dad and his serious memory problems.
I’m betting you have something really challenging going on in your life, as well. (And if you don’t, I can guarantee it’s coming. That’s how life goes.) So, I hope by sharing some of these, it might encourage you to get into the Bible yourself. Because I think it’ll change your life, if you let it.
'Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”' — Matthew 11:28-30
'Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. ' — Psalms 51:10-12
'Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. ' — Hebrews 10:23-25
'Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” ' — Hebrews 13:5-6
As a final scripture reminder, do not grow weary in doing good. Even if you’re just helping one hungry kid or donating one school backpack, that might not solve world hunger or fix everything in our country (or your neighborhood), but you are doing good.
So, don’t feel overwhelmed by the size of the world’s problems.
The final thing that I want to do is something I do in every show.
I want to talk to you just for a moment about depression, PTSD, and even suicide for just a moment.
I do this because veterans are at 57% higher risk of suicide than their peers of the same age group of folks who haven’t served.
But this section isn’t just for veterans. I know we can all get in really low spots in our lives so I just want to remind people that it’s a season.
It’s a valley. So when you’re in that thick, deep, tough situation that just seems like you can’t see over it, just remember it. It’s just a season. It’s just a valley, like I said.
Now, if you are having serious issues, you can call 988 and select 1 and you can talk to a crisis-line responder anytime day or night.
And you can do this whether you’re a civilian or a veteran, but I do know that this is hard to do and I know most of you who are struggling probably won’t do so.
As such, I have to be a little mean here because the fact is is when we’ve had a drill instructor or a tough coach in the past who pushed us, you experienced that you can go further than when it’s just you.
So I’m gonna be mean for a moment and I have to remind you guys that you cannot give up. You can’t give in to those really terrible thoughts you’re having.
I don’t want you to lose this fight. I don’t want you to make your parents or your family have to plan your funeral.
I don’t want them to feel guilty that they didn’t check on you for that. That they couldn’t reach you.
I want you to know that you can hold on for another day, and I think if you do, I think the next day is gonna be a little easier.
Now again, if you’re in a fight that you worry you may lose, please call someone. Call a friend or a family member.
This is really easy to do and I beg of you to do so. We have all lost friends that we wish had reached out to us, so again reach out to one of them. Just be honest. Say that you’re struggling right now and can’t catch a break.
But again, you can also call 988. Select 1.
As I said, whatever you do, please do not quit. You’re just in a valley and this world needs you. Probably, if we’re honest, your parents need you, as well. Because seriously, who’s going take care of your parents in 30 years? Or in 10 years? Or whatever age you are?
And I’m serious about this. I just helped take care of my Mom before she passed.
I help take care of my Dad, who’s dealing with some pretty serious memory issues.
So I just wanna ask you who’s gonna do it? Are you just gonna let the system take care of them? How horrible is that?!
So the broader point is you cannot quit and you need to think beyond the season that you’re in and realize that there’s something you’re meant to do -- you just can’t see it. Because like I said earlier, in this immediate fog and pain, you can’t see the end result, but I believe that there’s a mission for you to do.
I believe that God has a mission for you to do. Maybe it’s coach a little league team. Maybe it’s to help others with PTSD. Maybe you’re supposed to run for office.
Whatever it is, I believe there’s some calling for you and you haven’t found it.
But I want to encourage you to get involved.
Stop isolating yourself. Visit a veterans group, such as the VFW. Something like that.
Maybe visit a church near you. Maybe visit some family you’ve lost touch with. Maybe call or text that friend you’ve grown apart with.
Reach out to the long-lost friend from high school. Or the one from the military you haven’t talked with in years. I’ll bet they’re dying to talk to you.
But again if you’re struggling, I beg of you to call 988, select 1.
Also, and this is my personal suggestion if you’re not absolutely opposed to it, I would suggest that you start moving closer to God.
Start reading the Bible, if you never have. I really do think that will help. You can read some of Psalms or Proverbs, and then you can start with the New Testament in the Book of John.
I think you’ll find the Bible will start drawing you in and I think it’ll start changing your life. If you don’t have a Bible, you can download the Bible app on your phone or you can look it up online there. There are dozens of sights with it on there.
But again, the broader point is I just want to encourage you not to give up. There’s a plan for you. I really hope that you won’t give up and that you’ll reach out to God or maybe check out the Bible as I’ve mentioned so many times.
If that’s not your thing, or if you’re not ready for that step, I hope you try to surround yourself with some more community or some more friends.
I know a lot of the websites say to not guilt someone who’s thinking about suicide. That such a thing is cruel, but I sadly think that suicide is the easy way out.
It’s a short-term solution to what you think is a complicated problem that you can’t solve.
And trust me. I’m not stupid. I know life is hard. I know going on whether it’s in life or a marathon or a really long rucksack run or forced march in the military, I know to keep going is often more painful. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s also the right answer.
Not only will you get tougher and stronger and have more endurance, but if you fall out of that race, someone’s got to carry your gear. Someone’s got to care for you. Or maybe your team arrives at the mission objective with fewer people, which is gonna lead to more strain and danger and probably higher casualties to those around you.
And unfortunately, that same thing happens if you decide to pull the plug and check out in regular life. Somebody’s going to have to carry your load. Somebody’s going to have to care for your family or for your parents. Someone’s going to have to plan your funeral. Someone is going to have to deal with all the things that you left hanging out there.
So, I know it sounds like I’m trying to guilt you, and I’m really not trying to, but I just want you to think about these things when you are in the lowest point in your life. That really dark place. Please think of others.
You’re a good person. And I just think you’re stronger than what you think you are right now.
And as such, I just encourage you to keep fighting. Please keep taking that next step.
Before we end, I always like to end each week’s edition with this one:
And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.
If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.
Here are those links again if you’d like to support the show:
You can subscribe with Substack: https://stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe
You can also now sign up at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stanrmitchell
Or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell): https://account.venmo.com/u/authorstanrmitchell
And there’s even a PayPal link you can use: https://paypal.me/StanRMitchell.
Finally, I’m still trying to grow the show. Please rate and leave comments on SPOTIFY, APPLE, or wherever you listen.
Also, all posts are free, so feel free to share. (And in that line of thinking, it seems like all the social media sites I’m on throttle down my posts when they have a link to Substack, so if you could forward this to a person or two that might be interested, and ask them to consider signing up for free, it’d sure help me a lot!)
That’s it for this edition.
Love my moderate, optimistic view of politics and want to know more about how I see things?
Go here:
Dealing with PTSD? Emotionally or mentally at rock bottom? Here’s the link to my faith newsletter: Be like Ozzie; go near your master. (The power of prayer. Part 1.)
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget that I've also written twelve fast, exciting books.
Finally, I also write a faith blog about God and the Bible. (As a child, I was wounded badly by the church and left it to study other religions, before returning to the faith of my roots.)
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US prepares for dangerous Middle East mission; plus, some deep analysis on Ukraine