A Prayer to Slow Down This SummerBy Laura Bailey "This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them-for this is their lot." – Ecclesiastes 5:18 NIV Have you ever heard of the term ‘Maycemeber ‘? It’s a recent phenomenon in which the end of the school year has become just as hectic as the Christmas season. A friend shared this revelation, and it struck a chord with me. I could easily relate as I replayed last night's softball game, which we almost missed because we had dance rehearsal, where a group of moms compared battle plans to survive the next few weeks. As the end of the school year gives way to summer, our calendars should be lighter, right? The programs, parties, and last-minute "Mom, I was supposed to dress up as a lobster today, oh and bring a three-tiered cake" is enough to exhaust even the most Pinterest-prepared mom. I might have exaggerated slightly with my illustration above, but it's not far from our last few weeks. As my legs bounced up and down cautiously, I ventured a peek at my calendar for the next few months. Already, I saw the series of blocked-out squares, highlighted notes, and penciled-in bookings. Our calendar bubbled over with good things, but the upcoming commitments made me weary. I'd blocked off a week for my daughter to go to summer camp, an annual retreat with her best friend, to learn and grow in Christ. Multiple weekends were reserved for friends and family members to catch up and celebrate birthdays and holidays. For the first two weeks of summer, our family is traveling to explore one of God's beautiful creations, The Grand Canyon, and spend quality time together. And then there's Vacation Bible School, Serve Week at our Church, various play dates, mini camps, and Summer Reading.  As I pondered the next few months, I wondered how we know the best ways to invest our time and resources in a world with countless opportunities. The teacher, whom many believe is Solomon, gives us insight into how to triage time, saying no to the lesser things so we can save room for the greater things.  Ecclesiastes 5:18, "This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them-for this is their lot."   Solomon, reflecting on his very full life, who sometimes walked in the ways of the Lord and other times chose the path of distraction and destruction, reminds us of what's important. Many don't choose between bad and good things; most decisions benefit our lives and others. But we are finite creatures; our physical and spiritual bodies and souls need rest. That means there are times when we will have to say, "No, not this time," to protect ourselves from burnout, breakdown, or emotional and mental depletion. As a recovering people-pleaser, I understand this is a hard task. However, when we examine every opportunity through the lens of eternity, asking, "Does this have lasting significance?" that changes our commitments.  There are seasons in life when we don't have a choice where we spend our time; we crave a slower pace, but it's not an option: the mom of a newborn, the daughter of an aging parent, the brother helping the family deal with a crisis. If you find yourself in this season, I pray for strength. But, if you are trying to juggle your "yes" this summer, might I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to heed Solomon's words and slow down? Take time to rest, restore, and relax. Prioritize family meals around the table, slow Saturday morning coffee on your back porch bird watching, and make space for friends to hang out and enjoy God's good gift of companionship as we find our satisfaction in the Lord and His blessings. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to gather, celebrate, work, and serve. We know that having the option to choose where we spend our time is a luxury; let us never take that for granted. Guide us as we make our plans, holding them loosely and leaving room for rest. We ask for discernment, prioritizing the eternal over the earthly. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.  Photo credit: ©Getty Images/piola666 Laura Bailey is a Bible teacher who challenges and encourages women to dive deep in the Scriptures, shift from an earthly to an eternal mindset, and filter life through the lens of God's Word. She is the author of Beyond the Noise, and loves any opportunity to speak and teach women of all ages. She is a wife and momma to three young girls. Connect with her on her website,  www.LauraRBailey.com, Facebook and Instagram. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week, she gives you practical, real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day, click below! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer to Slow Down This Summer – Your Daily Prayer – July 8 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Slow Down This SummerBy Laura Bailey "This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them-for this is their lot." – Ecclesiastes 5:18 NIV Have you ever heard of the term ‘Maycemeber ‘? It’s a recent phenomenon in which the end of the school year has become just as hectic as the Christmas season. A friend shared this revelation, and it struck a chord with me. I could easily relate as I replayed last night's softball game, which we almost missed because we had dance rehearsal, where a group of moms compared battle plans to survive the next few weeks. As the end of the school year gives way to summer, our calendars should be lighter, right? The programs, parties, and last-minute "Mom, I was supposed to dress up as a lobster today, oh and bring a three-tiered cake" is enough to exhaust even the most Pinterest-prepared mom. I might have exaggerated slightly with my illustration above, but it's not far from our last few weeks. As my legs bounced up and down cautiously, I ventured a peek at my calendar for the next few months. Already, I saw the series of blocked-out squares, highlighted notes, and penciled-in bookings. Our calendar bubbled over with good things, but the upcoming commitments made me weary. I'd blocked off a week for my daughter to go to summer camp, an annual retreat with her best friend, to learn and grow in Christ. Multiple weekends were reserved for friends and family members to catch up and celebrate birthdays and holidays. For the first two weeks of summer, our family is traveling to explore one of God's beautiful creations, The Grand Canyon, and spend quality time together. And then there's Vacation Bible School, Serve Week at our Church, various play dates, mini camps, and Summer Reading.  As I pondered the next few months, I wondered how we know the best ways to invest our time and resources in a world with countless opportunities. The teacher, whom many believe is Solomon, gives us insight into how to triage time, saying no to the lesser things so we can save room for the greater things.  Ecclesiastes 5:18, "This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them-for this is their lot."   Solomon, reflecting on his very full life, who sometimes walked in the ways of the Lord and other times chose the path of distraction and destruction, reminds us of what's important. Many don't choose between bad and good things; most decisions benefit our lives and others. But we are finite creatures; our physical and spiritual bodies and souls need rest. That means there are times when we will have to say, "No, not this time," to protect ourselves from burnout, breakdown, or emotional and mental depletion. As a recovering people-pleaser, I understand this is a hard task. However, when we examine every opportunity through the lens of eternity, asking, "Does this have lasting significance?" that changes our commitments.  There are seasons in life when we don't have a choice where we spend our time; we crave a slower pace, but it's not an option: the mom of a newborn, the daughter of an aging parent, the brother helping the family deal with a crisis. If you find yourself in this season, I pray for strength. But, if you are trying to juggle your "yes" this summer, might I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to heed Solomon's words and slow down? Take time to rest, restore, and relax. Prioritize family meals around the table, slow Saturday morning coffee on your back porch bird watching, and make space for friends to hang out and enjoy God's good gift of companionship as we find our satisfaction in the Lord and His blessings. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to gather, celebrate, work, and serve. We know that having the option to choose where we spend our time is a luxury; let us never take that for granted. Guide us as we make our plans, holding them loosely and leaving room for rest. We ask for discernment, prioritizing the eternal over the earthly. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.  Photo credit: ©Getty Images/piola666 Laura Bailey is a Bible teacher who challenges and encourages women to dive deep in the Scriptures, shift from an earthly to an eternal mindset, and filter life through the lens of God's Word. She is the author of Beyond the Noise, and loves any opportunity to speak and teach women of all ages. She is a wife and momma to three young girls. Connect with her on her website,  www.LauraRBailey.com, Facebook and Instagram. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week, she gives you practical, real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day, click below! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer to Slow Down This Summer – Your Daily Prayer – July 8 appeared first on GodUpdates.

1849 - St Paul's Place in the Bronx named 1902 - Baltimore manager John McGraw is accused by AL President Ban Johnson of trying to wreck the Orioles and Washington Senators; negotiates his release from the Orioles, having already signed with NY Giants 1913 - Alfred Carlton Gilbert's patent for the Erector Set is issued, it becomes one of the most popular toys of all time 1939 - Wimbledon Women's Tennis: American Alice Marble wins her only Wimbledon singles title beating Kay Stammers of England 6-2, 6-0 1943 - Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (Dutch National Socialist Movement) leader Anton Mussert meets with Heinrich Himmler 1944 - British troops march into Caen, Normandy 1947 - Reports are broadcast that a UFO has crash landed in Roswell, New Mexico 1988 - Miami Arena opens in Miami, Florida 2014 - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu instructs his defence forces to "take their gloves off" against Hamas and to take any means necessary to "restore peace" to Israeli citizens 2023 - Airstrike on Sudanese district of Omdurman by the Sudanese army kills at least 22 people including women and children More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1862 - Theodore R. Timby is granted a US patent for discharging guns in a revolving turret, using electricity 1913 - Alfred Carlton Gilbert's patent for the Erector Set is issued, it becomes one of the most popular toys of all time 1971 - During street disturbances, British soldiers shoot dead two Catholic civilians in Free Derry; riots erupt, the Social Democratic and Labour Party withdraw from Stormont in protest 2008 - American businessman T. Boone Pickens announces his "Pickens Plan", an energy policy that moves away from imported oil 2012 - US Open Women's Golf, Blackwolf Run: Na Yeon Choi of South Korea wins her first major championship, 4 strokes ahead of compatriot Amy Yang 2021 - Global known death toll from COVID-19 passes 4 million (equal to all deaths in battle since 1982) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1545 - Don Carlos, Prince of Asturias, son of Spanish King Philip II, born in Valladolid, Spain (d. 1568) 1760 - Christian Kramp, French mathematician known for his work with factorials, born in Strasbourg, France (d. 1826) 1838 - Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German general and inventor (rigid dirigibles) who founded the Zeppelin airship company, born in Konstanz, Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany (d. 1917) 1913 - Walter Kerr, American actor, writer (Goldilocks) and Broadway theatre critic, born in Evanston, Illinois (d. 1996) 1944 - Jeffrey Tambor, American character actor (Larry Sanders - "Hank"; Arrested Decelopment), born in San Francisco, California 1960 - Mal Meninga, Australian rugby league centre (46 Tests, 32 games Queensland; St. Helens, Canberra; RL "Immortal") and coach (Australia, 30 games Queensland, Canberra), born in Bundaberg, Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1933 - Anthony Hope, British novelist and playwright (The Prisoner of Zenda), dies of cancer at 70 1956 - Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart, Dutch politician (1954 Nobel Peace Prize as High Commissioner for Refugees of the UN), dies at 55 1974 - Morris "Moose" Charlap, American Broadway composer (Peter Pan; Kelly), dies at 45 1977 - Rie Cramer, Dutch writer and illustrator, dies at 89 2015 - Ken Stabler, American Pro Football HOF quarterback (4 x Pro Bowl; NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro 1974; Super Bowl 1976; Oakland Raiders), dies of colon cancer at 69 2020 - Abdelmajid Tlemçani, Tunisian soccer striker (54 caps; Espérance Sportive de Tunis), dies at 82 More Famous Deaths »

Between strivings for control and misconceptions of what biblical submission really means lies a chasm of mistruths that stand in the way of healthy marriages.

A pair of marble cherubs sculpted by Italian Early Renaissance master Benedetto da Maiano has been discovered on the grounds of Visegrád Castle, north of Budapest, Hungary. The cherub heads and wings were found during the excavation of the church of the Franciscan monastery that stood next to the royal palace in the castle complex. The cherubs were part of a 15th century altar made of white marble. While the heads have suffered some damage, they are largely intact and display the characteristic features of Benedetto da Maiano’s deft hand in the detailing of the hair, feathers and faces. Fragments of drapery from angel statues were also found. The pieces are almost exact copies of sculptural elements on altars by Benedetto da Maiano in Naples, Florence and San Gimignano. Born in Maiano, Tuscany, in 1442, Benedetto learned wood and marble carving first from his uncle Giuliano, and later from Antonio Rossellino. He soon eclipsed both in skill and fame. He started out working in perspective intarsia (using different colors of wood inlay to create complex architectural scenes, figures, foliage and geometric patterns with 3D depth), creating the insanely gorgeous studiolo of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, and his reputation spread far and wide. Biographer Giorgio Vasari recounts that Benedetto da Maiano received commissions from the crowned heads of Europe, including King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary for whom he made a pair of inlaid coffers. King Matthias invited Benedetto to Buda in person to deliver the coffers, but when he presented them before the king and his court full of nobles, he found to his horror that the sea water from the voyage had softened the glue of the inlay and all his work literally fell to pieces before his aghast eyes. He was able to patch it back together to the king’s satisfaction, but he was so humiliated wood’s fragile, from them on, he switched to marble sculpture. Benedetto was commissioned to make matching marble relief portraits of the king and his second wife Beatrice of Aragon at the time of their wedding in 1476. The portraits are recognized by art historians today as important transitional pieces marking the artist’s shift from intarsia to statuary. Vasari says he made other sculptures in clay and marble for King Matthias Corvinus before he left Hungary and returned to Florence. First built in the 13th century, Visegrád Castle became an official royal residence in the 14th century and was further enlarged and refurbished in the 15th century. Matthias almost entirely redid the interior of the palace, and he also refounded the Franciscan monastery (started but never completely by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary, around 1400). Mattias finished construction of the monastery and commissioned a grand high altar of white marble in Italian Renaissance style. A document in Florence from 1493 records that Benedetto had received a commission from Matthias for a marble tabernacle for a church sacristy, but the work was interrupted when the king died in 1490. This order suggests Matthias was actively engaging Benedetto da Maiano in work for the church. Visegrád and the Franciscan monastery suffered heavily in the armed conflicts of the 1540s. In 1540, the Lower Castle was besieged by Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, in a succession conflict that would precipitate a much larger invasion by Ottoman Emperor Suleiman the Magnificent ostensibly on behalf of the infant who had just inherited the throne of Hungary. Ferdinand’s siege damaged the monastery, and archaeologists found fragments of the altar with pieces of the windows, the window frames and lead rifle bullets, flattened from impact. The castle was besieged again by the Ottoman Empire in 1544 and suffered heavy damage. Even after Turkish forces were ousted in 1685, the castle was never again used as a royal palace and by the 18th century was completely buried. Today the castle is open to visitors even as it undergoes a new program of excavation and restoration with the ultimate goal of returning the castle and palace complex to its glory days under Matthias Corvinus. The unearthed artifact is of great significance as it confirms King Matthias’s vision of Hungary as a cultural and artistic hub in 15th-century Europe, where he commissioned works from leading Italian artists. “The chances of finding Renaissance works of art of similar quality and in good condition, but hitherto unknown, are now very slim,” Gergely Buzás concluded. The ongoing excavations hold promise for further significant discoveries, shedding light on Hungary’s rich medieval history.

"A lot of people thought this wasn't feasible."

Politics SCOTUS Delivers Setbacks to Anti-Trump Lawfare But using the law as a weapon is here to stay. Photo Credit: Mason Letteau Stallings This is how lawfare works. The Supreme Court on June 28 likely exonerated 350 of 351 January 6 riot defendants, rebuking President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice for abusing an existing law to go after them and turn them into felons. You wanna guess who the one last defendant still in trouble is? Donald Trump remains charged with two counts of obstructing an official proceeding. At issue was part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Title 18, Section 1512(c)(2)), which was enacted after the collapse of the energy giant Enron. The law contains a catchall provision that makes it a crime to corruptly obstruct, influence, or impede any official proceeding. The justices rejected the idea that this statute, initially intended to criminalize things like shredding documents or tampering with evidence in corporate malfeasance cases, could be stretched by the Justice Department to include the disruptions of the counting process that took place on January 6. The SCOTUS case is Fischer v. United States, brought by defendant Joseph Fischer, a former police officer seeking to dismiss the charge of obstructing an official proceeding—namely the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. The law was repurposed against J6 defendants, claiming their protest obstructed the business of Congress certifying the election of Joe Biden to the presidency. This novel use of the law made the J6 protesters’ actions felonies, rather than the typical misdemeanor charges for illegal or disruptive protesting. There are also First Amendment issues with criminalizing protests against the government that were more or less ignored in these cases (although Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett did touch on the 1A in her dissent, and during oral arguments stated, “People are going to worry about the kinds of protest they engage in, even if they’re peaceful, because the government has this weapon.”) Trump is in the picture because he too is charged with obstruction and conspiracy to obstruct, with the government claiming he worked in a variety of forms to overturn the 2020 election and make himself president for a second term. (that this was Constitutionally and technically impossible is somehow not relevant.) One aspect of this was Trump’s efforts to “exploit” the Capitol riot to his own ends, from which the obstruction charge arises. Specifically, the indictment says  Donald J. Trump did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with co-conspirators, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to corruptly obstruct and impede an official proceeding, that is, the certification of the electoral vote. SCOTUS said in its recent decision the interpretation used to convict 350 men was wrong. They said prosecutors overstepped the bounds of the law in using an obstruction statute to charge members of the group that stormed the Capitol. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, read the law narrowly, saying it applied only when the defendant’s actions impaired the integrity of physical evidence. Lower courts will now apply that new, stricter standard, and it will no doubt lead them to dismiss charges against many defendants. Future trials will not include the obstruction charge. Left unspecified at present is the fate of the 52 people convicted exclusively under the law challenged in Fischer, with no other charge—27 of whom are still serving sentences for that in federal prison. But don’t worry about those J6 guys getting off too easily. The New York Times, practically salivating, writes, “Some federal judges in Washington who are handling the January 6 cases have already signaled that they are willing to increase the sentences defendants receive on crimes other than the obstruction count in order to make up for any loss in prison time.” Still, Trump saw the decision as a plus, posting on Truth Social that this was “a massive victory for J6 political prisoners.” But what about Defendant 351, Trump himself? Special Counsel Jack Smith stated Trump’s charges will not be affected, saying Trump’s conduct could be considered a crime under even the narrow SCOTUS reading of the law. The former president is accused of tampering with documents (the law reads “have taken some action with respect to a document, record or some other object”) through his plot to create false slates of electors claiming he won in states actually carried by President Biden. The accusations against him include that scheme to concoct illegitimate documents to disrupt Congress’s processing of electoral college votes, namely, fake elector ballots “cast” for Trump by fake electors. In other words, the J6 guys obstructed the vote count through their protest, acts now deemed by the Supreme Court to be an over-application of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Trump is charged under the same law but for different actions: those fake elector ballots. Because that’s how lawfare works, ignoring the intent of any given law—common sense, in many cases—in favor of microscopically picking out and if necessary reinterpreting those parts of the law might lead to a conviction. The goal is not justice or a search for truth; it is 3D Tetris designed to see if some set of actions can be twisted to fit any available law that might lead to a conviction. That was the essence of Trump’s felony counts in the so-called “hush money” trial. What was essentially a bookkeeping error, labeling money paid to lawyer Michael Cohen as “legal expenses” when it was actually something else (reimbursement for money he supposedly gave to Stormy Daniels), grew into serial felonies because the prosecutor wanted it to. As an example, the Clinton campaign committed the exact same bookkeeping error, labeling money for Michael Steele to produce the infamous Russian dossier legal expenses, and faced only a fine of $8,000. No jail time, no attempt to halt the campaign for president, not even a decent slap on the wrist. That’s lawfare. Republican lawmakers, including Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, filed a brief in Fischer’s case saying the Justice Department is using the law as an “all-purpose weapon against perceived political opponents.” Same for those classified documents. Classified material was found purloined and improperly stored by Joe Biden (never mind Hillary Clinton and her email server) but no charges were filed. Trump is looking at a raft of charges for essentially the same act, without much explanation other than “face it, kid, that’s lawfare.” Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, surprisingly voting this time with the majority in Fischer, wrote courts concerned about the uneasy fit between this law and the J6 protesters’ actions should not lose sight of “the backdrop of a real-world context” Congress wrote into the law after the document destruction in the Enron scandal. “There was nothing as far as I can tell in the enactment history as it was recorded that suggests that Congress was thinking about obstruction more generally,” she said. Nothing but lawfare, she might have added. There’s one last wrench to throw into the works: immunity. Following the verdict in Fischer, the Court one work day later ruled in Trump v. United States the former president is entitled to absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts, and sent his J6 case back to the lower court. The SCOTUS ruling does draw a critical distinction between official and private conduct. The VP-hopeful Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) called it a “massive win,” as did Trump himself on Truth Social. Practically speaking, this all probably delays any verdict on Trump’s J6 actions until after the election, when it will not matter. Lawfare, however, is here to stay, and it is unlikely that Trump will be its last victim. The post SCOTUS Delivers Setbacks to Anti-Trump Lawfare appeared first on The American Conservative.