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by Frank Bergman, Slay News: Just one day after a second attempt on President Donald Trump’s life, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has released Secret Service whistleblower allegations regarding the first failed assassination in July. On Monday morning, Hawley released a wide-ranging report detailing the failures of the Secret Service in connection with the first assassination […]

September 17, 2024 Loss Doesn't Also Have To Take Our HopeLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope." 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NIV) It's hard for me to share this story because I'm not ready to use my friend's name in the past tense. She was a wonderful friend. She is a wonderful friend. And she passed away very quickly after a severe diagnosis. I think I'm still in disbelief because she was such a bright light in this world, in my world, that nothing could extinguish all that goodness, joy, love, spunk, faithfulness and unending hope. I still want to call her and give her updates. We were in the middle of planning another trip together. We were in the middle of doing ministry work together. My life was finally taking a good turn after she'd prayed me through a decade of heartbreaks. She still had grandbabies being born and adventures she wanted to go on and so much wisdom she wanted to share with all of us. And then right in the middle of all of that life, suddenly an illness slammed the brakes on everything, and conversations were filled with words like "cancer" and "tumors" and "treatments" and "prayers for a miracle." I miss my friend Lisa so much. I can't talk about her without crying. And as I process my grief, I've encountered more hard questions I have for God: Why her?  Why this special person who brought such good into every life she touched?  She honored You, God, with her whole heart, and she lived out Your love in such beautiful ways. How could any of this be part of a good plan? My wrestling is compounded by the unfairness of her life ending while others who cause such destruction and evil are physically healthy and free to keep hurting people. I know God is patient, wanting everyone to repent and turn from their sin. And I believe His patience with all of us is part of His goodness. But it hurts so much that my friend was taken. I've made peace with the fact that I don't understand and won't get answers to all my questions. But I still cry and wrestle with what seems so unfair to me. Can you relate? The only way I'm making peace with this right now is to go back and ask myself, What is true about the heart of God? What I believe about God's true nature will affect how I process the hard things that happen in life. I don't understand why my friend Lisa was taken, but here's what I do know: She loved God and was confident in God's love for her. For Lisa, trusting God was never about what she was facing - her confidence was in the consistent faithfulness He displayed throughout her life. Just the other day, I turned to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, which says, "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him" (NIV). Lisa didn't want this diagnosis. She didn't want to suffer. She was grieving, and those of us who love her were as well. But none of us were grieving as people who had no hope. To see how Lisa managed her grief and hope was beautiful. She was able to acknowledge that her situation stunk, but she was still open to the joys of life. Honestly, in my mind, being open to the joys of life even during hardships feels like a beautiful definition of "hope." If we believe God loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for us, why would His love stop on the threshold of devastating life circumstances and things that don't make sense to us? His love doesn't stop there. So our hope shouldn't stop there. My prayer is that the more I believe in the absolute love God has for me, for Lisa and for all of us ... the more I can trust Him. I believe the same for you, too, friend. Lord Jesus, I know no matter what I face, hope is possible. Help me hold together both sorrow and joy ... grief and celebration ... pain and victory ... as I cling to You to carry me through this season. I trust You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Trust is the oxygen of all human relationships. But it’s also what trips you up after you've been burned. As you experience broken trust, sometimes you're left asking, If God let this happen, can He even be trusted? Lysa TerKeurst understands these struggles. That's why she wrote her new book, I Want to Trust You, but I Don't. Through each page, Lysa offers practical and biblical wisdom for developing peace that isn’t dependent on unpredictable people, circumstances and experiences. When you preorder now, you can start reading the first few chapters before the book even releases! Preorder here! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (NIV). How does remembering eternal perspectives renew your hope? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Loss Doesn’t Also Have To Take Our Hope –  Encouragement for Today – September 17, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer for Strengthening Family BondsBy Heidi Vegh  Bible Reading"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. – Joshua 24:15 Listen or Read Below: Family is a precious gift from God. Our homes should be a place of comfort, nurturing, and leading others to a life with Jesus. Our priority is our relationship with Jesus, which strengthens us to serve our families well and brings us closer to each other. I am a mother of four in a blended family. Two of our children are in their last years of high school, and I feel an urgency to teach them all they need to know about living a life with Jesus. Over the years, we have strived to strengthen our bond with them and cultivate a safe space for them to ask hard questions.  As children grow and become more independent, meaningful family time becomes increasingly harder to have. When things start to change, we have to focus on the intentionality of creating spaces to build bonds. It can be easy to let things go and just accept them for how they are, but we must allow ourselves to recognize things that have slipped into the cracks of a busy life and make changes. God has been showing me lately that I can't give up on those bonding times. I can't just let them go, and I need to make changes, even big ones, in our lives to maintain opportunities for togetherness.  In Psalm 133:1, we read, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"  If we feel our children naturally start to pull away, we need to ask God for wisdom in balancing their new freedoms while still sharing bonding moments. Perhaps that is planning trips, scheduling weekly family dinners, or making sure Sunday mornings are set aside for church and lunch. When God starts to pull at your heart and show you things that have slipped in your family life, it is time to listen. It is time to make hard changes where needed and it is time to prioritize family over any other obligation. Sometimes, this might be a little change, or sometimes, it might be life-changing. But all of it is worth it for the sake of family.  Each family is different, with different schedules and priorities, but when we allow the direction of the Lord to penetrate every aspect of our lives, we will find it simpler to include Him in our daily walks. It will be easier to hear His voice when He wants us to take action. When we show our children sacrifice in the name of Jesus and family, it teaches them what should be a priority in their own lives. If we model for them making hard changes or choices in the name of family and following Jesus that is something they will take with them into adult life.  Let's Pray: Lord, I lift my family to you. It is growing and changing and the opportunities for strengthening, bonding moments are few and far between. Lord, protect the hearts of my children and give me the wisdom to know what needs to be a priority. Speak to us as we seek to create spaces for strengthening. Show us things we need to set aside, let go of, or change. Teach us ways and give us creative ideas to strengthen our family. Help us cultivate a safe space in our home for our children to ask hard questions. Please give us wisdom in our answers and show us ways to love our children through hard things.  Strengthen our bond. Work powerfully in the time that we do get together and I pray that they can walk away from their childhood with tangible tools and wisdom in how to follow you and live a life for you. We know our children are watching us so give us humility as we make mistakes, and give us the strength to admit our faults and apologize. Move in our family, Lord. Pour your Holy Spirit into our lives and our home. Move in your power and change us. Move in all of our hearts and reveal to us the plans that you have for us. You are the glue for our family so forgive us Lord for allowing space for division or disunity. We pray for unity in our family, a strong bond that will carry through our whole life. Thank you Jesus for caring so deeply about each of our family members. Help us to grow in your love, serve you together, and be a light to those around us.In your precious name, we pray, amen. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Thomas Barwick Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Western Washington. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She longs to use her writing as a way to encourage others who have experienced loss and guide them on the road to healing. She contributes to her blog found at www.mrsheidivegh.com , sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women's Ministry Director at her local church and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, read, craft, and experiment in the kitchen. Visit her Facebook and Instagram (@mrsheidivegh) to learn more. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! The post A Prayer for Strengthening Family Bonds – Your Daily Prayer – September 17 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer for Strengthening Family BondsBy Heidi Vegh  Bible Reading"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. – Joshua 24:15 Listen or Read Below: Family is a precious gift from God. Our homes should be a place of comfort, nurturing, and leading others to a life with Jesus. Our priority is our relationship with Jesus, which strengthens us to serve our families well and brings us closer to each other. I am a mother of four in a blended family. Two of our children are in their last years of high school, and I feel an urgency to teach them all they need to know about living a life with Jesus. Over the years, we have strived to strengthen our bond with them and cultivate a safe space for them to ask hard questions.  As children grow and become more independent, meaningful family time becomes increasingly harder to have. When things start to change, we have to focus on the intentionality of creating spaces to build bonds. It can be easy to let things go and just accept them for how they are, but we must allow ourselves to recognize things that have slipped into the cracks of a busy life and make changes. God has been showing me lately that I can't give up on those bonding times. I can't just let them go, and I need to make changes, even big ones, in our lives to maintain opportunities for togetherness.  In Psalm 133:1, we read, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"  If we feel our children naturally start to pull away, we need to ask God for wisdom in balancing their new freedoms while still sharing bonding moments. Perhaps that is planning trips, scheduling weekly family dinners, or making sure Sunday mornings are set aside for church and lunch. When God starts to pull at your heart and show you things that have slipped in your family life, it is time to listen. It is time to make hard changes where needed and it is time to prioritize family over any other obligation. Sometimes, this might be a little change, or sometimes, it might be life-changing. But all of it is worth it for the sake of family.  Each family is different, with different schedules and priorities, but when we allow the direction of the Lord to penetrate every aspect of our lives, we will find it simpler to include Him in our daily walks. It will be easier to hear His voice when He wants us to take action. When we show our children sacrifice in the name of Jesus and family, it teaches them what should be a priority in their own lives. If we model for them making hard changes or choices in the name of family and following Jesus that is something they will take with them into adult life.  Let's Pray: Lord, I lift my family to you. It is growing and changing and the opportunities for strengthening, bonding moments are few and far between. Lord, protect the hearts of my children and give me the wisdom to know what needs to be a priority. Speak to us as we seek to create spaces for strengthening. Show us things we need to set aside, let go of, or change. Teach us ways and give us creative ideas to strengthen our family. Help us cultivate a safe space in our home for our children to ask hard questions. Please give us wisdom in our answers and show us ways to love our children through hard things.  Strengthen our bond. Work powerfully in the time that we do get together and I pray that they can walk away from their childhood with tangible tools and wisdom in how to follow you and live a life for you. We know our children are watching us so give us humility as we make mistakes, and give us the strength to admit our faults and apologize. Move in our family, Lord. Pour your Holy Spirit into our lives and our home. Move in your power and change us. Move in all of our hearts and reveal to us the plans that you have for us. You are the glue for our family so forgive us Lord for allowing space for division or disunity. We pray for unity in our family, a strong bond that will carry through our whole life. Thank you Jesus for caring so deeply about each of our family members. Help us to grow in your love, serve you together, and be a light to those around us.In your precious name, we pray, amen. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Thomas Barwick Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Western Washington. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She longs to use her writing as a way to encourage others who have experienced loss and guide them on the road to healing. She contributes to her blog found at www.mrsheidivegh.com , sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women's Ministry Director at her local church and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, read, craft, and experiment in the kitchen. Visit her Facebook and Instagram (@mrsheidivegh) to learn more. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! The post A Prayer for Strengthening Family Bonds – Your Daily Prayer – September 17 appeared first on GodUpdates.

September 17, 2024 Loss Doesn't Also Have To Take Our HopeLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope." 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NIV) It's hard for me to share this story because I'm not ready to use my friend's name in the past tense. She was a wonderful friend. She is a wonderful friend. And she passed away very quickly after a severe diagnosis. I think I'm still in disbelief because she was such a bright light in this world, in my world, that nothing could extinguish all that goodness, joy, love, spunk, faithfulness and unending hope. I still want to call her and give her updates. We were in the middle of planning another trip together. We were in the middle of doing ministry work together. My life was finally taking a good turn after she'd prayed me through a decade of heartbreaks. She still had grandbabies being born and adventures she wanted to go on and so much wisdom she wanted to share with all of us. And then right in the middle of all of that life, suddenly an illness slammed the brakes on everything, and conversations were filled with words like "cancer" and "tumors" and "treatments" and "prayers for a miracle." I miss my friend Lisa so much. I can't talk about her without crying. And as I process my grief, I've encountered more hard questions I have for God: Why her?  Why this special person who brought such good into every life she touched?  She honored You, God, with her whole heart, and she lived out Your love in such beautiful ways. How could any of this be part of a good plan? My wrestling is compounded by the unfairness of her life ending while others who cause such destruction and evil are physically healthy and free to keep hurting people. I know God is patient, wanting everyone to repent and turn from their sin. And I believe His patience with all of us is part of His goodness. But it hurts so much that my friend was taken. I've made peace with the fact that I don't understand and won't get answers to all my questions. But I still cry and wrestle with what seems so unfair to me. Can you relate? The only way I'm making peace with this right now is to go back and ask myself, What is true about the heart of God? What I believe about God's true nature will affect how I process the hard things that happen in life. I don't understand why my friend Lisa was taken, but here's what I do know: She loved God and was confident in God's love for her. For Lisa, trusting God was never about what she was facing - her confidence was in the consistent faithfulness He displayed throughout her life. Just the other day, I turned to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, which says, "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him" (NIV). Lisa didn't want this diagnosis. She didn't want to suffer. She was grieving, and those of us who love her were as well. But none of us were grieving as people who had no hope. To see how Lisa managed her grief and hope was beautiful. She was able to acknowledge that her situation stunk, but she was still open to the joys of life. Honestly, in my mind, being open to the joys of life even during hardships feels like a beautiful definition of "hope." If we believe God loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for us, why would His love stop on the threshold of devastating life circumstances and things that don't make sense to us? His love doesn't stop there. So our hope shouldn't stop there. My prayer is that the more I believe in the absolute love God has for me, for Lisa and for all of us ... the more I can trust Him. I believe the same for you, too, friend. Lord Jesus, I know no matter what I face, hope is possible. Help me hold together both sorrow and joy ... grief and celebration ... pain and victory ... as I cling to You to carry me through this season. I trust You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Trust is the oxygen of all human relationships. But it’s also what trips you up after you've been burned. As you experience broken trust, sometimes you're left asking, If God let this happen, can He even be trusted? Lysa TerKeurst understands these struggles. That's why she wrote her new book, I Want to Trust You, but I Don't. Through each page, Lysa offers practical and biblical wisdom for developing peace that isn’t dependent on unpredictable people, circumstances and experiences. When you preorder now, you can start reading the first few chapters before the book even releases! Preorder here! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (NIV). How does remembering eternal perspectives renew your hope? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Loss Doesn’t Also Have To Take Our Hope –  Encouragement for Today – September 17, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Originally formed in the early 90s, Texan alt.rock band Fastball are back with album number nine