Author Archives: RJ Hamster

I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis. I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God. I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons. I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA. While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon.. In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987). From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting. Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982. I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects. In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston. In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018. Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia. In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey. As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova. Love and God Bless, Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi

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Leviticus 10:1-3

(1) Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. (2) So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. (3) And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:
‘By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.
New King James Version Change email Bible version

Surely these men did not deliberately intend to sin. However, notice how quickly God’s sense of justice reacted, striking these men dead in their tracks and burning them to cinders. Obviously, they either did or failed to do something far more serious than ever entered their minds. Is not God’s reaction a vivid warning, especially to those who come near Him? Are we not among those who come near Him?

Look at the evidence more closely and observe God’s sense of justice. First, these men were the sons of Aaron, and Moses was their uncle. One would think that, if anybody among those two to three million Israelites had a close relationship with God, that family did. So one might think there may have been some leeway in God’s judgment, but there was not! God reacted swiftly and violently.

Second, the charge against them was not because they consorted with prostitutes. No human sacrifices were planned or made. The charge was that they used “profane” (NKJV) or “strange” (KJV) fire.

But we need to look further. Just a few days before this startling event, Exodus 40 reveals the construction of the Tabernacle had been completed and its furniture arranged. Leviticus 1 begins listing the final procedures made for God to dwell in the Tabernacle. In Leviticus 8, the priesthood was consecrated, and in Leviticus 9, they made their first official offering using the Tabernacle and its furniture. Leviticus 9:22-24 says:

Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the LORDand consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

This spectacular and serious event shows the offering’s acceptance by God.

To this point, all was well, but we must consider a solemn command given by God to the Levites regarding their responsibilities in Leviticus 6:12-13:

And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. A perpetual fire shall burn on the altar; it shall never go out.

The altar fire was to be rekindled continually from its own coals, which remained from God’s acceptance of the original offering. What was Nadab and Abihu’s sin? They used coals from a fire not ignited by God. It was not from His hand and therefore was foreign fire.

If we read between the lines here, we can easily see that Aaron was shocked. He went right to the top of human leadership to get this straightened out, and Moses gave him God’s answer: Do not mourn. Do not show any agreement with Nadab and Abihu. Do not show any disagreement with God’s judgment.

Why? God’s judgments are never wrong. Nadab and Abihu got what they deserved. God saw every aspect of their act as it unfolded. They had added or subtracted to what God commanded and died. They had tried to get by with what they carnally felt was acceptable.

The instruction is clear: Among those consecrated by God to serve Him and His family, His instructions must be explicitly followed. They totally disregarded what He had commanded in Leviticus 6:12-13. There is no ambiguity in the instructions. They had been completely and adequately informed. Each step and each instrument in the process had been designed to teach certain spiritual concepts. They had thought that common fire was good enough, but in their careless, presumptuous neglect, they had blatantly twisted God’s Word.

This incident vividly illustrates that the wages of sin is death. Leviticus 10:3 says Aaron held his peace; he knew the judgment was correct. It was a shocking demonstration, but we can be certain that, because God is love and is supremely sovereign in His judgment, His every decision will be as correct as His judgment of Nadab and Abihu, since He Himself is the standard.

God is not a holy terror lying in wait for us to do something wrong, but He provides us examples such as this and several others of what He can do in response to sin. When He responds like this, He is fully justified. He wants us to consider His justice so that we will be better prepared to evaluate our calling properly and then live by faith.

— John W. Ritenbaugh

To learn more, see:
Living by Faith and God’s Justice

Topics:

Acting Presumptuously

Distinguishing between Sacred and Profane

God’s Judgment

God’s Justice

God’s Sense of Justice

Living by Faith and God’s Justice

Nadab and Abihu

Nadab and Abihu’s Sin

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Acuña on boos: ‘I love the fans from Philly’

Monday, September 07

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Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ronald Acuña Jr., Jacob Misiorowski, Tommy Edman and Chandler Simpson

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This Week With Gosar

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Weekly Newsletter

September 6, 2026

Keeping the Government Open

This week, Congress took an important step to keep the government open and prevent another unnecessary Democrat government shutdown. With my support, the House passed a funding bill, known as the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027, by a bipartisan vote of 370–48, sending the legislation to President Trump’s desk.

This is exactly what Congress should be doing: keeping the government working while continuing the process of completing full-year appropriations. The legislation extends government funding through December 11, protects funding for our national security and military, and ensures critical services continue without interruption. It also contains no partisan riders or so-called “poison pills.”

Americans have had enough of the Democrats’ shutdown games. A government shutdown disrupts critical services and creates needless uncertainty for families, businesses and our service members. We should not wait until the last minute and manufacture another crisis.

House Republicans acted early to keep the government open and preserve the path toward completing the FY2027 appropriations process. In fact, the House Appropriations Committee has passed all twelve annual funding bills. Sadly, the Senate once again refuses to do its job. As a result of the Senate’s inaction, the House of Representatives was forced to pass a continuing resolution. While not ideal, I supported this measure because governing means doing the job we were elected to do—not holding the American people hostage to political brinkmanship.

The Left’s Radical Attack on the Supreme Court

Democrats can no longer hide their radical plan to pack the Supreme Court.

This week, 205 House Democrats voted against a constitutional amendment to keep the Supreme Court at nine justices.They had a simple opportunity to take court packing off the table—and they refused.

Their message is clear: Give them the power, and they will add seats to the Court until they get the rulings they want.

That isn’t justice. It’s political intimidation of the judiciary and a direct assault on the separation of powers.

The American people—not politicians—should decide the future of our Constitution. I will never support packing the Supreme Court to manufacture political outcomes.

A History Lesson on Court Packing

Think Democrats are only bluffing when they talk about changing the Supreme Court? History tells us otherwise.

In 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt—after the Supreme Court had struck down several major pieces of his New Deal agenda—proposed what became known as the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, or the “court-packing plan.”

The proposal would have allowed Roosevelt to appoint an additional justice for every sitting Supreme Court justice over age 70 who did not retire. Because six of the nine justices were then over 70, the plan could have expanded the Court from nine justices to as many as 15.

The political implications were obvious: it would have allowed a sitting president the opportunity to reshape the Court after the Court had repeatedly rejected parts of his legislative agenda. Roosevelt’s proposal faced fierce opposition—not only from Republicans, but from Democrats as well—and ultimately failed in Congress.

Then came one of the most consequential episodes in Supreme Court history. In the spring of 1937, the Court upheld important New Deal measures, including the National Labor Relations Act and the Social Security Act, in narrow 5–4 decisions. One of the Court’s conservative justices, Willis Van Devanter, also retired, allowing Roosevelt an opportunity to make an appointment without expanding the Court. The episode became famously known as “the switch in time that saved nine.”

The court-packing proposal was eventually abandoned, but the episode remains an important warning about the consequences of trying to manipulate the size of the Supreme Court for political purposes.

As noted above, Democrats are once again openly strategizing on changing the Supreme Court because they disagree with its rulings. The lesson from 1937 is clear: changing the number of justices to achieve a desired political outcome threatens the independence of the judiciary and the constitutional system of checks and balances.

If Democrats think Americans have forgotten what happened the last time a president tried to reshape the Supreme Court for political purposes, they should think again.

History remembers.

Jobs Rebound Shows America Is Back to Work

Friday’s jobs report delivers some welcome news for American workers and families. The economy added 162,000 jobs in August, more than twice what economists expected, while the unemployment rate held steady at a low 4.1 percent. Even better, job gains for June and July were revised upward by a combined 55,000 jobs. Just think, four years ago, during Sleepy Joe Biden’s unpresidency, the inflation rate reached 9.1% in June 2022, marking a 40-year high.

This is what happens when Republicans put growth, investment and American workers first. President Trump and Republicans in Congress have been working to cut taxes, roll back burdensome regulations, unleash American energy and bring manufacturing and investment back home. Those policies are giving businesses greater confidence to invest and create jobs.

There is still work to do, particularly on inflation and the cost of living, but this report is a clear sign that the American economy is moving in the right direction. Republican policies are helping rebuild an economy left in shambles by Joe Biden where Americans can work, earn a good living and get ahead.

Securing the Border and Removing Criminals

For years, Arizona has been on the front lines of the border crisis. Communities across our state have paid the price for an open-border agenda that allowed cartels, fentanyl and dangerous criminals to enter our country. That is changing.

The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have made securing the border and enforcing our immigration laws a priority. The results are clear: data released this week note that ICE arrested 50,925 illegals in August, breaking the previous monthly record set just one month earlier. It marks the third consecutive month that ICE has set a record for arrests.

More importantly, these enforcement efforts are targeting the people who pose the greatest threat to our communities. Among those arrested were illegals convicted of murder, sexual assault of minors, child pornography, DUI manslaughter and fentanyl trafficking.

This is what enforcing our laws looks like. President Trump has ended the previous administration’s policy of looking the other way and has empowered ICE to find, arrest and deport those who are here illegally—especially those who have committed serious crimes. More than three million lawbreakers have left the United States since President Trump returned to office, according to DHS.

As a border-state Congressman, I have seen firsthand why this matters. Arizona families deserve a secure border, safe communities and an immigration system that puts the interests of American citizens first. The days of an open border and catch-and-release are over. Republicans and President Trump are delivering on the promise to secure our border and remove dangerous criminals from our communities.

Standing With Arizona’s Ranchers

Arizona ranchers have spent years dealing with the consequences of federal policies that put predator protection ahead of the people who actually live and work on the land. President Trump is now taking a different approach.

This week, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the federal government to support America’s ranchers and specifically ordering the Department of the Interior to determine whether gray wolves and Mexican wolves meet the criteria for delisting. The order also calls for legislative recommendations to delist these wolves, greater coordination with states and improved compensation for livestock losses caused by predators.

For Arizona, this is a big deal.

The Mexican wolf has been protected under the ESA for decades, even as its population has grown well beyond the original federal recovery goals. Meanwhile, Arizona ranchers have watched their cattle and livestock become prey while facing heavy restrictions on how they can respond.

The wolf’s growing U.S. population—including hundreds held in captive breeding facilities—is evidence that it is time to move beyond perpetual federal protection.

That is why I introduced HR 4255, the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act. My legislation would remove the Mexican wolf from the Endangered Species Act and separate U.S. wolf management from recovery goals tied to Mexico. It would put management decisions back in the hands of states and local stakeholders who understand the land, the livestock and the challenges facing rural communities.

President Trump’s action moves federal policy in the direction I have been fighting for. Arizona ranchers should not have to choose between protecting their livelihoods and complying with Washington bureaucrats. We can conserve wildlife without sacrificing the families, businesses and communities that make rural Arizona strong.

And Finally…

With Halloween just around the corner, have you ever wondered what everyone was dressing up as the year you were born? This week, Reader’s Digest put together a fun trip down memory lane, and the answers are a pretty entertaining snapshot of American pop culture.

Depending on your birth year, you might have been welcomed into the world by cowboys, Elvis, The Beatles or Willy Wonka. Later generations had Princess Leia, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And if you were born in the 1990s or early 2000s, you might have been surrounded by Barney, Power Rangers, Star Trek, Harry Potter or Spider-Man.

It’s a reminder that Halloween costumes have always been about more than candy and creepy decorations—they’re a little time capsule of what America was watching, listening to and talking about at the time.

So, what was the most popular Halloween costume the year you were born? Check out the list, settle an argument with your family and see whether your birth year produced a classic—or something you’d rather leave buried in the graveyard!

Tweet of the Week:

Photo of the Week:

📸 Paulette Millspaugh from Prescott, AZ sent in this cool photo of a Cooper’s Hawk that flew in and perched on the railing on her deck for a half hour! That’s amazing, Paulette. Thanks for sharing.

Do you want the chance for your photograph to be featured as our “Photo of the Week?” If so, send your best shots along with a brief description to Anthony.foti@mail.house.gov. Remember to include your name and where you live.

Gosar in the News and Other Must-Read Stories:

📰 KJZZ: Republicans accuse Mayes of hiding bribery allegations in Hobbs pay-to-play investigation

🗞 KJZZ: ADOT opens new tunnel near Kingman to ease delays between Phoenix and Las Vegas

📰 Washington Examiner: House passes stopgap funding bill with help of 176 Democrats to avoid pre-election shutdown

🗞 Daily Signal: Victor Davis Hanson: The Left Is Dragging America Back to the Dark Ages

📰 Executive Gov: ICE Surpasses Record Monthly Arrests in August

⚠ Warning!! The Gosar Weekly Newsletter is meant for discerning readers with above-average intelligence. We link to interesting stories. We get stories a couple different ways: Google alerts, a third-party aggregator and sometimes readers send stuff. We don’t vouch for every publication or every author. If we link to a story, it is because of that story. The views expressed in any of the publications do not represent any promotion, endorsement or reflection of Congressman Gosar’s views. While we try our best, we cannot guarantee every news organization spouting hatred, animosity or divisiveness will be filtered from appearing in the Gosar Weekly Newsletter. We will endeavor to prevent that from happening by never linking to Fake News organizations including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Rolling Stone, the Arizona Republic, the Arizona Mirror, Media Matters or the New Republic. WEBSITE | UNSUBSCRIBE | CONTACT ME Share on Facebook | Share on TwitterWashington, DC Office
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Revelation 2:5 – Rekindling Your First Love for God

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Revelation 2:5

(5) Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
New King James Version Change email Bible version

Revelation 2:5 instructs us to remember from where we have fallen, to repent, and to do the works we did when we had our first love. We have three commands here: remember, repent, and do. If we fail to follow through on these, God says very bluntly, “I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.” This is serious!

Individually, then, we must compare our present attitudes, efforts, zeal, and love to what they were when we were first converted. We should have no trouble doing this because, for most of us, our first months or years in the church are still vivid in our minds. We probably all had similar experiences.

We expressed our first love by diligently obeying all we learned. We took great pains to study, fast, pray, and meditate regularly, giving up valuable time we had once used for our recreation or entertainment. We stood up for the Sabbath and argued with the school system and our employers over Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. We tithed carefully, and the holy days, especially the Feast of Tabernacles, were such a thrill!

We hungered for God’s Word and could never get enough of the Bible and the church’s literature. We had faith in the ministers God sent to us, seeing them as helpers of our joy. We really worked to overcome every little sin we found, not wanting to disappoint God in the least matter. We had supreme faith in God’s purpose, both for mankind as a whole and for us as individuals. We were very serious about our calling.

We would have done none of these things before being called. Our first love was a wonderful thing to behold—true devotion and dedication to God, manifested by zealously bending every effort to conform to His will. We outwardly loved God and trusted Him. He was always in our thoughts.

Some people in this world get a kind of first love for a political party, a team, or a cause. But our first love came upon us because God opened our minds and revealed Himself to us, and what we saw we recognized as truly awesome and wondrous. When we learned that such a magnificent Being wanted us to be members of His Family forever, we caught the vision! This opened our minds to new thoughts, new ideas, new horizons—and so we were filled with first love.

Years may have passed. The “newness” of God’s way has worn off. Friends, family, and ministers have let us down. So much has changed in our lives and in the church that those heady days seem impossible to recapture. But God commands us that we must remember what it was like and return to them in spirit, in attitude, and in works because God has not let us down nor has His purpose changed.

Paul tells Timothy to “stir up the gift of God which is in you” (II Timothy 1:6), and in a sense, this is what Christreminds us to do in His brief message to the Ephesian church. We have to stir ourselves to rekindle our love for God and the brethren and serve them in humility and kindness.

Once we regain this godly love, we will probably notice that it is somewhat different from what we had just after conversion. Most of us have had many years of experience and growth in the meantime. This will tend to produce a more seasoned, mature “first love,” which is exactly what God wants. We will be able to pursue godliness with the zeal of youth and the wisdom of maturity.

— John O. Reid

To learn more, see:
Recapture Your First Love!

Topics:

Stir up the Gift of God

Zeal

‌

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8 injured stars who could still make an impact

Sunday, September 06

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Corbin Burnes, Garrett Crochet, Edward Cabrera, Carlos Correa and Aaron Judge

8 impact players who could return down the stretch

Time is running out on the regular season, but several injured players are on the comeback trail and could still have the opportunity to make a difference in playoff races.

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