July 16, 2024 God Knows Where You AreKAREN WINGATE Lee en español "You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." Psalm 139:1-2 (NIV) A sweltering day in July found me stuck in my bathroom. Our air conditioning had broken, and a repairman couldn't come till the next day. Not realizing the heat would swell the already cantankerous doorknob, I shut the door - then discovered I couldn't turn the knob. My hearing-impaired husband at the other end of the house would never hear my shouts and bangs. After 10 minutes of twisting the knob, I leaned against the sink, lightheaded from the heat. No one knows I'm here. Swallowing my panic, I sent up an automatic prayer - Help, Lord - to the ceiling. I tried the doorknob again. It wouldn't budge. But the truth of my prayer hit me. God knows I'm here. He knows I'm trapped. I prayed because I believe He does see what has happened to me. Psalm 139:1-2 highlights this truth: "You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar."  Later, the psalmist reflected, "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there (Psalm 139:8, NIV). God knows everything about us: where we are, what we're doing, what we're thinking, how we got where we are, and where we'll be in the future. Nothing escapes His notice. You and I have moments when we feel stuck and alone. Caring for an elderly parent. Dealing with a defiant teenager. Facing an insurmountable debt. Maybe we share the details of our dilemmas with those closest to us, but they give us confused looks or off-target advice. We realize our inability to remedy the situation or to get help from anyone else. But we are not alone. Since God knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, as Jesus told His followers in Matthew 10:29-31, God is aware of everything that happens to us. And since God knows everything about us, He also has the understanding and foresight to resolve our situations. Best of all, He wants to work with us, imparting His perfect wisdom to help us move toward His best for us. Armed with this reminder, I asked the Lord for guidance on unsticking that stuck doorknob. The idea came to jiggle it forward and backward while turning it. Yes! With a wiggle and a twist, I was set free from my sweltering prison. My friend, you are not alone. The God who stands beside you is the One who will go before you. He knows how you got where you are and the best way to move you from where you now stand. Join Him and move with Him toward freedom. Lord, when no one else is near or understands what I'm facing, You know everything that is happening to me even before I call for help. You have the power and desire to rescue me whenever or wherever I'm stuck. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Today's devotion writer, Karen Wingate, has redesigned her Pinterest page to share Bible verses, quotes from her book With Fresh Eyes, and quotes from her other writing. Check out Karen's Pinterest page here. ENGAGE You can also connect with Karen through her weekly email newsletter here. FOR DEEPER STUDY Deuteronomy 31:8, "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (NIV). In his final instructions to the Israelites before he died, Moses reminded them in Deuteronomy 31:8 that God was always with them and would guide them where they needed to go. How does the truth that God is always with you and knows everything about you give you courage to talk to Him about what you are facing? Let’s encourage one another in the comments! © 2024 by Karen Wingate. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post God Knows Where You Are – Encouragement for Today – July 16, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

1548 - La Paz, Bolivia, is founded 1801 - Pope Pius VII and 1st consul Napoleon sign concord 1935 - First automatic parking meter in the United States is installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1965 - Mont Blanc Road tunnel between France and Italy opens 1966 - David Heneker's musical "Half a Sixpence", starring Tommy Steels, and based on H.G. Well's 1905 novel "Kipps", closes at Broadhurst Theater, NYC, after 511 performances 1988 - San Antonio (Texas League) beats Jackson 1-0 in 26 innings 1988 - Landmark Japanese animated cyberpunk manga film "Akira" released, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo 1995 - Bob Telson, Graciela Daniele and Jim Lewis's musical "Chronicles of a Death Foretold", based on Gabriel García Márquez's 1981 novella, closes at Plymouth Theater, NYC, after 55 performances 2007 - An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 and aftershock of 6.6 occurs off the Niigata coast, Japan, killing 8 people with at least 800 injured and damaging a nuclear power plant. See 2007 Chūetsu offshore earthquake. 2017 - US Open Women's Golf, Trump National GC: Park Sung-hyun wins by 2 shots from fellow South Korean Choi Hye-jin More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1862 - David Farragut is 1st Rear Admiral in US Navy 1966 - Nigeria becomes the first Anglophone independent state in Africa to become an associate member of European Economic Community 1967 - Prison brawl ignites barracks, killing 37 (Jay, Florida) 1985 - All star MVP: LaMarr Hoyt (San Diego Padres) 1990 - 400 die in a (7.7) earthquake in the Philippines 2023 - Taylor Swift’s re-recorded "Speak Now" album debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200, her 12th No. 1 album, surpassing Barbra Streisand's record for #1 albums by a female artist More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1855 - C. F. Abdy Williams, British organist, composer, and musicologist, born in Dawlish, England (d. 1923) 1882 - Edward Earle, Canadian actor (Charlie Chan-Meeting at Midnight), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 1972) 1888 - Percy Kilbride, American stage and screen actor (The Egg and I; Ma and Pa Kettle films), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1964) 1942 - Frank Field, British Labour politician, born in Edmonton, Middlesex 1945 - Barry Dudleston, English cricket batsman (Leicestershire CCC, Gloucestershire CCC, Rhodesia) and umpire (2 Tests, 4 ODIs), born in Bebington, England 1953 - Douglas J. Feith, American Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1747 - Giuseppe Maria Crespi, painter/etcher, dies 1868 - Louis François Dauprat, French composer and horn player, dies at 87 1980 - Robert Brackman, American artist, dies at 81 1982 - Patrick Dewaere, actor (Catherine and Co), shoots self at 35 2004 - George Busbee, Governor of Georgia (b. 1927) 2006 - Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas (b. 1948) More Famous Deaths »

Viral star Hailey Welch has enchanted every corner of the internet, and now the star of a million memes has heavy metal immortality

Jesus loves the lost, and so should we. He is very much still at work in the world today and invites every believer to participate. He is growing His Kingdom, and the best is yet to come!

In a rare occurrence, the head of one of America’s largest and oldest labor unions spoke about corporate greed at a Republican National Convention.  “The Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party,” Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told convention delegates Monday night. O’Brien said he was invited to speak at the convention by former President Donald Trump, who watched the entire speech, along with others, while seated in the convention hall. “I don’t care about getting criticized. It’s an honor to be the first Teamster in our 121-year history to address the Republican National Convention,” O’Brien said. The Teamsters have not yet endorsed a presidential candidate, though the union endorsed President Joe Biden in 2020. O’Brien has praised Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, among a few other Republican lawmakers, for what he characterized as pro-union policies. Trump announced earlier Monday that Vance would be his running mate.  He said he wanted to build a bipartisan coalition to support American workers. He also said he sought to speak to both the Republican and Democratic conventions. He did note that in the past the Teamsters endorsed Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush, all Republicans.  O’Brien said his decision to speak at the GOP gathering caused “political unrest.” “Anti-union groups demanded the president rescind his invitation,” he said. “The Left called me a traitor. This is precisely why it’s so important for me to be here today. Think about this. I must be doing something correct if the extremes in both parties think I shouldn’t be on this stage.” O’Brien praised Vance, as well as Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Brian  Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., for what he characterized as listening to unions and standing up to corporations.  “The Teamsters and the GOP may not agree on a lot of issue, but a growing group has shown the courage to sit down and consider points of view that aren’t funded by big money think tanks,” O’Brien said.  The union leader said corporations have their own union in the form of groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable.  O’Brien said “elites have no party and no nation,” but are only loyal to their balance sheets  He called for what he characterized as more pro-worker trade policies as well as policies that prevent companies from leaving the United States to improve their bottom line. The Teamsters president also decried what he called “economic terrorism” by companies that prevent employees from unionizing.  He called for “corporate welfare reform,” noting the amount of government subsidies massive corporations such as Amazon, Uber, and Lyft are getting.  “These companies offer no real health insurance, no retirement benefits, no paid leave, [and are] relying on underfunded public assistance,” O’Brien said. “And who foots the bill? The individual taxpayer. The biggest recipients of welfare in this country are corporations, and this is real corruption. We must put workers first.”  The post Teamsters Chief Praises JD Vance, Among Other GOP Lawmakers, at Convention appeared first on The Daily Signal.

PBS’s coverage of Night One of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee got off to a bad start during an interview with Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, who’d just delivered an early speech to the convention delegates. At 8:07 ET, News Hour co-anchor Geoff Bennett, who was hosting the network’s taxpayer-funded convention coverage along with fellow News Hour co-anchor Amna Nawaz, challenged Johnson on the ability of Donald Trump to change the tone after his near-assassination, attacking Trump with three accusations, one ridiculous, one false. What responsibility do you think Donald Trump has himself to turn down the temperature? Because he in the past, he’s called his political enemies ‘vermin,’ he’s called some undocumented immigrants ‘animals,’ he’s said there’ll be a ‘bloodbath’ if he’s not elected in November.” So, one out of three ain’t bad? Trump did indeed call the “undocumented immigrants” known as the deadly gang MS-13 “animals.” So? As for “bloodbath,” Bennett was repeating the same ridiculous liberal whopper that he told back on the News Hour in March 2024, after Trump made comments at a campaign rally in Ohio. Trump was talking about tariffs, saying that if he didn’t get elected it would be a “bloodbath” for the American auto industry. Back then Bennett said, “Extremism experts say it's the latest example of Donald Trump using violent rhetoric to appeal to his supporters.”     But perhaps the most awkward and sharpest exchange of the night came, after all things, a speech from social media influencer Amber Rose at 10:21 p.m. ET, in the third and final hour, when Capehart sparred with Bennett over the host stating accurately that the left has “vilified” Donald Trump. BENNETT: “Jonathan Capehart [laughs] that look you just gave me. CAPEHART: Gotta give me a heads up! [laughs] [Crosstalk] NAWAZ: Jonathan Capehart, your thoughts? BENNETT: “It strikes me, when she says, the left told me to hate Trump, but when you cut through the lies you’ll realize that life was better under him. That’s a resonant argument for a lot of people, now of course you have to discount the fact that there was a hundred-year pandemic and everything that resulted from that. But if you clip that and put it on Instagram, among, you know, the people that follow her, that could pick up a lot of traction, that resonates with folks. Capehart, a PBS News Hour regular holding up the liberal side alongside “conservative” voice David Brooks on Friday evenings, often seems unable to process the occasional discordant non-liberal views from the hosts. His reply carried a petulant tone: CAPEHART: Sure, and I would love to ask her, what lies? It’s one thing, you can say, when I cut through the lies, what lies are those? And then please tell me, how do you counter those lies you’re talking about with the actual data that’s there. We can talk about the emotions, because economics are emotional, and if people don’t feel it I get it--   BENNETT: In fairness, the left has vilified Donald Trump. A snotty, defensive Capehart demanded: “I’m sorry, define vilified.” After an awkward two-second pause, Bennett repeated his accusation. BENNETT: You can argue the merits, but in fairness, the left has vilified Donald Trump. Threat to democracy, that he’s a proto-fascist-- Capehart: --is that a vilification, is that a vilification, I don’t mean to argue with you, Geoff, I disagree with this notion that the left has vilified Donald Trump. The left has pointed out multiple things as president, has said as president, as a candidate for the presidency again, that deserve to be pointed out, deserve to be criticized, that’s not vilification, that is acknowledging what is there for everyone to see. Now, if someone had called him all sorts of names in addition to that, the name-calling I would say is vilification, but the substance of what people are talking about, you can’t call that vilification when you’re hammering the guy on his, on what he proposes for the country and to do to the country. So calling Trump a “fascist” and comparing him to Adolf Hitler, as the left and pockets of the media has done for years, is somehow not vilification?

Dean Obeidallah Clutching Pearls Over This Chant at RNC is Priceless (Watch)