This whole event is a sobering reminder that sovereignty requires responsibility. Even trusted networks can fail for what in retrospect are fairly basic errors. Even in our skeptical community, every one of us trusted and didn't verify. The flip side is that it is becoming increasingly easy to at least do some basic "verify" work as frontier LLMs become increasingly capable and available, and are already becoming a standard part of HWW manufacturers' pen testing workflow. Particularly as we progess further into this next chapter, which is "still early" for Bitcoin and very much a wild west still as it pertains to LLMs, the silver lining in my mind is this is making folks go back to basics with respect to their own setups and actually live out the mantra of "don't trust, verify." For some, and perhaps most, that may mean a third party custodian like ancorwarch, river, strike, etc. And I can understand the calculus. For others, this very much drives home why the gold standard for sovereign self custody will very much be multivender multisig and elimination of any one point of failure while still balancing multiple competing threat vectors. This event has been the Chernobyl of Bitcoin. The good news, as tragic as it has been to watch play out, is that most plebs will be overall in a much better place as we enter into a new era of increasing technological threat vectors.

Reflections on Marriage (So Far) Happily Ever After is a Fairy Tale Marriage does not end at the altar. Modern media, particularly over the last century, seems to paint a picture that the culmination of marriage happens just as it is getting started. Beyond that, I think we are often trained to think in such a way that the entirety of our lives prior to marriage revolve around finding a bride and getting to that point above all else. The truth, however, is much different. Certainly, getting married is a glorious thing. However, as men our purpose should be to build a life and vision into which we bring our bride. Marriage is a covenant relationship before God. She is our helper, strong support, our closest friend, and ultimately our own flesh, but actually is not and should not be our sole purpose. That sounds harsh to modern ears, but our job is to follow Christ and as we do so, execute the dominion mandate as that applies to us. Don't misunderstand - pursuing and caring for our bride is absolutely one of our top priorities, and very little comes before that in order of importance. But don't allow your mind to think you've "made it," just because you walked down the aisle together. The marriage ceremony is just the beginning. Much glorious work lies ahead with regards to cultivation of that relationship, and that relationship is a crucial part of your overall job as a man to imitate Christ, provide for and protect those under your care, and order the world around us towards the glory of God and our families' temporal and eternal good, in addition to being a joyous source of comfort and companionship. Do Not Create False Peace As you work through earthly life with your bride, sin will play a role. Sometimes it is your sin that leads to conflict, sometimes hers, oftentimes both. We must seek to own and take responsibility quickly for our own mistakes, and even if we happen to be in the right and she is wrong we should be the first to initiate peace-making. In doing so, however, it can sometimes be tempting to make an apology for any conflict or trouble, even in the absence of any sin on our part. Do not be harsh with your wife, but do not fall into the temptation of apologizing to her for sins that are not your own. That is not leadership and it is not ultimately loving - it may serve to appease her for a time, but it is ultimately not leading her towards Christ and only leads to a false and temporary peace while eroding your ability to lead well. Lead in the Small Things On the one hand, we should certainly not be overbearing tyrants. It is perfectly alright and actually good to incorporate your wife's desires, preferences, and wisdom into your decisions - big or small. But also recognize that a wife whose heart is for her husband truly does desire to be led well. As a small example: say the day is crazy, everyone is tired, and the plan is to order dinner for the evening. Your wife comes to you and asks, "What should we order?" Generally speaking, in the context of a relationship where she knows that at the root she is loved and trusted and valued, what she is probably looking for is direction - not another decision to make after a long day with the kids, etc. The response of, "Whatever sounds good to you" may seem considerate and loving on your part, and perhaps there are contexts where it may be. But in that moment, what she is more likely looking for, in a small way, is leadership, direction, and decisiveness. Instead of a vague response that forces her to make a decision and another burden for the day, give instead a particular suggestion or possibly a limited number of options that narrow things down significantly. Again, there is balance here - don't be an overbearing tyrant, but also don't be a rudderless ship in a storm. Set the Tone Part of your job, whether you know it or not, is to set the tone in your home. If you come home after work and you are stressed, tired, or angry, that tone is permeated throughout the house. If a child stumbles, for example, and you overreact, you are now training both your child and wife to overreact to a minor setback. If instead, you can remain calm even in trying times and be a source of strength for your family, if you can control your temper or your reactions even in the face of provocation, you will be a model your family can follow and imitate. Be a rock, not a leaf in the wind. Know Her Frame One of the most challenging scripture passages for husbands is 1 Peter 3:7: "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." In the world that God designed, we must understand that our wives being the weaker vessel means something. Obviously it does not mean they are "less than" - we are all heirs of the grace of life and bear the image of God. But it is true that we must have grace for our wives if they seem easily frustrated, flustered, disappointed, or discouraged. If we see this happening, we can understand why and seek to love them as Christ loves His church. But we should not be easily frustrated or angered ourselves for what seems like a poor reaction to a given circumstance. Have grace. Lead and love her through it. But do not bruise a broken reed. In the same vein, as you work through conflict with your wife and seek to lead, understand that not every problem can be solved by putting your foot down. Understand there may be times where it is appropriate to bend, though you should never break. Marriage is a sanctifying process for both parties. Knowing when to bend will be a matter of wisdom as you get to know your bride's heart and mind and what makes her tick, and that itself is a lifelong process. Importantly, there may also be times where it is best to cover minor transgressions with love (1 Peter 4:8, Proverbs 10:12) and entrust her heart to the Lord as you prayerfully bring her before the Throne. Ultimately, though, as you lead her, seek to work with the grain of your wife and not against it. As Christ Loves the Church Ephesians 5:25-33 is another powerful passage that models how we are called to love our wives - "as Christ loved the church." We are called to give of ourselves, to nourish her and cherish her. Love, at its root, is seeking the good of another even at cost to ourselves. I will not belabor the ways in which showing love is obvious - clearly this will involve verbally reminding her, showing her in your actions, self-sacrifice, provision, kissing, sex, etc. But remember that it is also loving to gently reprove and correct when needed, and in fact allowing for clear sin to go on unchallenged is not loving but actually cowardly and hateful towards her ultimate good. A word on correction: This will be required. It should not be a regular pattern. It should be a deeply considered and prayerful thing on your part. And remember - it often takes two to tango, so once again be quick to acknowledge and repent of your sin and lead the way in making peace. Do not go to bed angry. However, we also live in a world that tends to ignore the fact that women can, in fact, sin. And there may be instances where the sin is solely on her side (caveat: if you think this is every instance of conflict in your marriage, you likely need to reconsider your priors). On the one hand, you cannot nor should you try to bear primary responsibility for her sin - she must be called to repent, after we have prayerfully considered our own heart and actions. Again, see the discussion on false apologies above. It is however also true that you should seriously consider how your leadership or lack thereof may have contributed to being in that situation in the first place. With leadership comes both authority and responsibility, and even if ultimately the sin is her own, any conflict that comes to fruition is an opportunity for us to consider the seeds we are planting in our marriage. Communicate Well Clear communication is crucial in any relationship, but particularly in marriage. Assumptions are dangerous, and unmet expectations can lead to heartache and strife - even if unspoken. For any conflict, seek to understand if at least one factor is an expectation or desire that she had but may not have communicated beforehand. Show Her As we seek to love our brides like Christ, we must make sure we are loving her in the ways that she needs, not simply in the ways that you think. Certainly a large part of our duties revolve around provision and protection, but that is not where they end. Again, this is an area where you will have to understand the frame of your wife and what her particular needs are. Don't just tell her you love her - show her. This might look like many things - it may be that you help get the kids ready in the morning, or with making sure the house is put back together in the evening. It may be as simple as randomly reminding her that you appreciate what she does with handling the kids, shopping for food, etc. It can be easy for us as men to think, "I work hard at my job, I ensure there are funds in the bank, I keep my family safe - how could she not know she is loved?" Don't fall into that trap. Imitate Christ Keep your eyes focused on Christ. Follow Christ well, that your bride might follow you easily. You should be in daily prayer for your own heart, your bride, and your children. Take them regularly to church. Do regular family worship - this doesn't have to be prescriptive, and may look different from season to season, but it should involve scripture, catechism, and prayer. And it should happen regularly enough that it is not a surprise. Additionally, let your children and your bride see you regularly in the scriptures - not as an external show, but as a model which they follow.