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Panem et Circenses

Thinking about becoming a Rock star? There are two ways to go. First, you can develop your sound from one album to the next delivering one creative high after another. Trouble is, you may run out of ideas or lose your audience in the process. Or you can do what Boston did. Release a studio effort once a decade that sounds exactly like the last one and get discovered by a whole new audience. Of course, the old audience, so burned out from listening to the last album, will eagerly devour the ‘new’ product. Boston guitarist/leader Tom Scholz was one marketing genius. A mechanical engineering wiz, Scholz and band basically recorded the first album in his basement. Then he got Epic Records interested and re-recorded it in L.A. The combo of Scholz’s guitar and Brad Delp’s powerful, impassioned vocals made Boston’s self-titled debut spectacular. “More Than A Feeling,” “Foreplay/Long Time” and “Peace of Mind” were huge AM/FM hits. The album racked up fifteen million sales. Boston’s next album was “Don’t Look Back,” released in ‘78. Things were pretty much still on track with the title song being the best thing on it. While nowhere near as accomplished as the first set it did well enough for Epic to consider Boston one of its core acts. And core acts had to produce. But Scholz was not a man who liked to be rushed. Here’s what happened in the world between the release of “Don’t Look Back” and Boston’s next effort, the aptly titled, “Third Stage.”1. Disco music withers and dies.2. Iran takes U.S. hostages.3. Ronald Reagan defeats incumbent Jimmy Carter in the presidential election.4. Iran releases U.S. hostages.5. Assassination attempt of Reagan.6. MTV is launched.7. A furious Epic demands a Boston album.8. Scholz refuses to deliver – until he’s ready.9. Michael Jackson fights off Prince for world pop domination.10. U.S. invades Grenada to weed out commies.11. Reagan re-elected.12. Boston signs with MCA Records. Prior to “Third Stage” there were personnel changes. It seemed some band members were just as anxious as Epic about Scholz’s activities – of lack thereof. The album did contain the ballad “Amanda,” a major pop hit. In ‘96, Boston, with additional personnel changes, released “Walk On.”Critics chided Boston for being a formula band. And that may be. But before the formula got run into the ground (thanks to both the band and FM radio) it was something to behold.Years in the making, as it is with all Boston albums, “Life, Love & Hope,” the group’s sixth full-length set but their first release since ‘02’s “Corporate America,” dropped in ’13. Scholz stated that the album would not have any Delp vocals – he had committed suicide in ’07. However, the end product did. Additional vocals were provided by Kimberley Dahme, David Victor and Tommy DeCarlo. ### The post Boston appeared first on RockinTown.

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by Martin Armstrong, Armstrong Economics: From all my sources, Zelensky is just an absolute piece of shit, and that gives a shit a bad name. He responded to criticism that Ukraine shot down its own F16 by firing the head of the Ukrainian Air Force. How dare he blame Ukraine and criticize Ukraine’s air defense […]

Do you see the pattern yet? New York City is responding to ‘West Nile Virus’ with a MASS pesticide spraying operation. They are CAUSING the illnesses with their ‘solutions’. pic.twitter.com/1MoieZ5tRX — Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) August 31, 2024

by Rajan Laad, All News Pipeline: The word ‘bias’ is inadequate to describe what the mainstream media has devolved into. Bias means an inclination, leaning, or preference, but nothing beyond that. For instance, you may prefer the films of Akira Kurosawa, but you also enjoy the work of other masters such as Kubrick, Hitchcock, Bergman, […]

A Prayer for Recognizing God’s Answers to Our PrayersBy Meg Bucher Bible Reading"I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven." – Psalm 123:1 "Ok, God," I'll often say, "You say if it matters to me, then You care about it ...so, can you please help me (insert ask.)" Find my keys. Find my phone. Heal my sore knee. Give me patience with my daughter. I need a friend today. Stretch my minutes. Can the sun just come out ... On and on, at least I can say I make a good attempt to obey God's command to ‘pray continually' (1 Thes 5:18). Psalm 123 is a short psalm, just four verses. But the way it starts captivates me every time I read it. "I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven." Such a reminder of who God is ...and how needy I really am! I am so dependent on God for literally all of the things that fill up my daily life. "The psalm writer lifted his eyes to God, waiting and watching for God to send his mercy," the NLT Life Application Bible explains, "The more he waited, the more he cried out to God because the scoffing of the evil and proud was unrelenting and he couldn't bear it any longer." Ah, there's a part of life that reminds us of the news, doesn't it? The bad news is easy to find. In fact, it surrounds us. One year, I resolved to cater my social media feeds to good news and truth. I spent that year unfollowing things that made me anxious and following things that reminded me of Jesus. I get my news in three separate news emails – 2 are nonbiased, and one is Christ-centered. I had to take those thoughts captive, milling around on social media. Praying this Psalm rights the countenance of our hearts so we can remember that God really is in control despite the chaos. Verse 2 says: "We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal." Psalm 123:2 NLT The Message paraphrase reads, "We're watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy." When we pray to God, do we know how to interpret His answers? Do we know what to look and listen for? What to anticipate? Scripture assures us God answers our prayers, but do we look for His reply in the fabric of our everyday lives? Do we hear Him in His Word, through a friend, out in nature, or through a seeming coincidence that echoes an answer to our request? Praying this Psalm reminds us to be open to receive God's response to our prayers. Verse 3 continues:   "Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt." Psalm 123:3 NLT Contempt is the feeling of disdain or scorn for something considered mean, vile, or worthless, and can also refer to willful disobedience or disrespect towards court or legislative orders. (Dictionary.com) We are surrounded with contempt. We do not want to start blending in with the chaos around us: mean, vile, worthless, disrespectful ... no, thank you. But we all know too well how surrounding influences bleed into our persona subtly. Lastly, verse 4: "We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant." Psalm 123:4 NLT The more aware we are of who God is and who we are to Him, the more pronounced the chaos of the world feels some days. By praying the words of this Psalm, we choose to embrace the privilege of peace that comes as we walk with Christ instead. Let's pray:  Father, I lift my eyes up to you, O, God, enthroned in heaven. I keep looking to You for Your mercy, God, as a child who cannot contain their excitement to see someone they dearly love and have missed. Or the ice cream truck. That's how I feel today, God, anticipating Your answer to my prayers ...remembering that You are with me always and that You care about the smallest details in my life! Thank you so much for that, God! You are so kind and compassionate to me. Help me to see, hear, and know how You are answering my prayers. I want to feel Your presence in my life palpably! Have mercy on me, LORD! Carve any contempt out of my heart and guard me from the weight of the world and its surrounding influence. I have had my fill of it ...and it so subtly bleeds the fabric of my life, God. Protect me from people who have ill intentions for me. Protect me from the corrupt edges of my daily life, God, and things I can't even see that I am not aware of. Build my faith up, God, day by day. Replace chaos with peace.In Jesus' Name, Amen. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of "Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ," "Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity," "Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise," "Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ," and “Sent, Faith in Motion.” Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters ...which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls. 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! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for Recognizing God’s Answers to Our Prayers – Your Daily Prayer – September 2 appeared first on GodUpdates.

September 2, 2024 Gray Areas of Motherhood: What To Do When There's No Clear Right AnswerEMILY A. JENSEN AND LAURA WIFLER Lee en español "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5 (ESV)  We encounter a lot of decisions in motherhood that don't seem to have a clear right or wrong answer. Those "gray areas" - or everyday motherhood decisions not explicitly addressed in Scripture - can easily trip us up, making us feel paralyzed and anxious. Things like:Should I enroll my child in this sport? Where should I send my kid to school? When do I give my child a phone? Should I let them watch that show, listen to this music, or hang out with that friend? Thankfully, God's Word still gives us guidance and advice so we can employ biblical wisdom in these gray areas. Following biblical wisdom means applying what we know about God and His Word to the situation we have in front of us, and it's a skill that we can learn with His help. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."  Asking God for wisdom is our first step when faced with a gray-area decision. In addition, here are three helpful questions for seeking wisdom in unclear situations: 1. Is the cost to me and my family worth it? Though the idea of cost automatically makes us think of money, this is not the only way to quantify cost. Activities, lifestyles and material items can also cost us time and attention. We should thoughtfully count the cost of our choices in the context of prayer and God’s Word, also consulting our spouse if we're married and our Christian community (where appropriate). Then if we do move forward and say "yes," we can do so with our eyes wide open to the challenges and risks, ready to try to mitigate them with God's leadership and help (Luke 14:28). 2. Does this align with my family's mission? Every family has a unique and God-given mission. Before we spend time or money on something, we can each stop to consider how it fits into our mission as a woman, a wife and/or a mom as well as the mission of our family unit. Sometimes we see others doing things that look interesting or amazing, and we adopt those goals for ourselves, only to realize later that those things don't fit the calling God has given us (Ephesians 4:1). 3. How permanent is this decision? Some decisions are easy to change, some come with a higher level of commitment, and others can be nearly permanent. We don't need to live in fear of making a big decision. But if possible, we can assess the permanency of the decision and align that with the amount of time, care, consideration and attention we give it as we move forward. As we learn to negotiate the gray areas of life using gospel-inspired wisdom, we can walk in freedom, able to live for God's glory without fear, guilt or shame. Father, give me wisdom for decisions that I don't have a clear answer for. I know You give wisdom to all who ask, so please grant me discernment to make choices for my unique family and to walk in confidence as the mom You’ve made me to be. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS In Gospel Mom, learn how to navigate your everyday decisions and current circumstances through a biblical lens, and experience freedom and confidence in who God made you to be. Walk step by step through helpful practices and biblical thinking about how to rest in the grace of Christ, gaining peace and assurance in your motherhood. Gospel Mom releases October 15, 2024; preorder your copy today! ENGAGE To learn more, visit Risen Motherhood or connect with Emily or Laura on their sites. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Gospel Mom by Emily A. Jensen and Laura Wifler. To celebrate this book, their publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, September 9, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Proverbs 2:6, "For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding ..." (ESV). Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (ESV). What difficult decision have you had to make recently? What tools did you use to arrive at your decision? Who are the trusted people in your life who can help you evaluate an important decision? Make a list of these people, and reach out the next time a big decision needs to be made. © 2024 by Emily A. Jensen and Laura Wifler. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Gray Areas of Motherhood: What To Do When There’s No Clear Right Answer – Encouragement for Today – September 2, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.