May 3‚ 2024 A Beautiful Life Isn't One-Size-Fits-AllSTEPHANIE MAY WILSON  Lee en espa&;ntilde;ol &;quot;And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love.&;quot; Romans 8:38a (NLT)  For most of my life‚ I've been a people-pleasing‚ rule-following second-guesser. I'm also at the tail end of what I call the &;quot;everything era&;quot; - the span of years during which we make many of the biggest decisions of our lives‚ all at the same time‚ in front of an opinionated audience. (Yes‚ Aunt Sharon‚ I know you had three kids by the time you were my age. Yes‚ I know I'm not getting any younger.) Over the last 10 years‚ I've wrestled with so many big decisions: Is this man going to be my husband&;#63; Where's home&;#63;Which job should I take&;#63;Are we ready to have kids&;#63;What am I doing with my life&;#63; It felt like there must be a right way to do all of this‚ and I was certainly getting it all wrong. I didn't want to fall short of anyone's expectations (including my own&;#33;). But most of all‚ I worried about disappointing God. I wanted to make Him proud‚ to return the love He's so generously given to me. And without even realizing it‚ I started writing my definition of what that might look like. Every time I read a book‚ listened to a sermon‚ or saw a post on social media‚ my list of what I &;quot;should&;quot; be doing got longer. As you can imagine‚ this constant striving (and failing) didn't bring me closer to God. One day‚ I was trying to make a big decision - running through my pros-and-cons list for the thousandth time with a friend. As I was diving into another round of &;quot;what ifs‚&;quot; my friend looked me in the eye and said‚ &;quot;Stephanie‚ you get to decide.&;quot; There's not one right way to build a life. A beautiful life isn't one-size-fits-all‚ and that truth has changed everything for me. I spent years frantically looking for one right answer to questions that didn't have one. These were my calls to make. They're your calls to make too. This is true with who you marry‚ where your career path leads‚ whether you have kids‚ and where you call home. Even the best options have some good and some hard aspects‚ and it's up to you what specific combination of good and hard you're willing to live with. Yes‚ sometimes God has one exact answer for us. Sometimes there's a clear right and wrong. But the rest of the time‚ we get to make confident‚ creative decisions for ourselves and our families - not striving to earn God's love but knowing that we already have it and can never lose it. As Paul says in Romans 8:38a: &;quot;I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love.&;quot; Your life can - and should - be a beautiful‚ unique reflection of what's important to you‚ the woman who chose it. Your life should look like you. So create a life you love. God‚ when You have a specific plan for an area of my life‚ please show me. As I follow Your will‚ please help me make confident‚ creative and authentic decisions for myself and my family without fear or timidity. In Jesus' Name‚ Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS We're loving Stephanie May Wilson's new book‚ Create a Life You Love: How to Quiet Outside Voices So You Can Finally Hear Your Own. This book offers a guided journey of self-discovery‚ helping women take the pressure off what they think their lives are supposed to look like by now - so they can intentionally‚ confidently and authentically build the lives they actually want to live. ENGAGE For more from Stephanie May Wilson‚ follow her on Instagram‚ or check out her podcast‚ where she helps women navigate big decisions and life transitions one Girls Night at a time&;#33; Enter to WIN your very own copy of Create a Life You Love by Stephanie May Wilson. To celebrate this book‚ Stephanie's publisher will give away 5 copies&;#33; 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‚ May 6‚ 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Joshua 1:9‚ &;quot;Have I not commanded you&;#63; Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged‚ for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go&;quot; (NIV). What &;quot;shoulds&;quot; feel particularly heavy to you in this season of your life&;#63; How does it feel to hear that you get to decide and that there's not one right way to build your life&;#63; © 2024 by Stephanie May Wilson. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews‚ NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post A Beautiful Life Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All – Encouragement for Today – May 3‚ 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a “no-spoiler pledge” for Joe Biden during a presentation in New York City. RFK Jr. said he is the only candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election‚ citing internal polling conducted by John Zogby Strategies. “The largest 50-state poll of the 2024 cycle indicates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the only alternative to four more years of Donald Trump. This poll surveyed more than 26‚000 likely voters across the country and has a margin of error of only 0.6%‚” the RFK Jr. campaign stated. According to the internal polling‚ Donald Trump defeats Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election. “President Biden cannot beat President Trump. When you actually poll every state‚ and tally the electoral votes‚ Biden loses in a head-to-head against Trump and he loses in a three-way too‚” Kennedy24 wrote. “In a three-way race between Biden‚ Trump and Kennedy‚ Kennedy’s presence shifts the states of Maine and Virginia to Biden’s column‚ and no states to Trump’s column. So Kennedy’s presence helps Biden‚ but Biden still loses to Trump‚” Kennedy24 continued. “Even if President Trump were to drop out‚ President Biden can’t win. In fact‚ if Trump drops out‚ Kennedy wins in a 196 electoral vote landslide‚” Kennedy24 added. RFK Jr.’s campaign claimed he would defeat Donald Trump in a head-to-head contest‚ suggesting Biden is the real spoiler. “And if President Biden were to drop out‚ Kennedy wins again – the only scenario in which President Trump competes and loses‚” Kennedy24 stated. Holden Culotta writes: RFK Jr. announces No Spoiler Pledge: “This is a pledge that I offer to take if President Biden also takes it” 1. “Both parties agree to co-fund‚ in mid-October‚ a 50-state poll with 30K or more likely voters” 2. “The survey will test the results of a head-to-head race pitting President Biden against President Trump and a second head-to-head race pitting me against President Trump” 3. “Whomever performs weakest against President Trump in a two-man contest will drop out of the presidential race” “By the way … President Trump is not a spoiler‚ because he can actually win‚ but I’m happy to make this same pledge with President Trump‚ because I can do better against President Biden than President Trump can.” “If either President Trump or President Biden won‚ the division is gonna continue‚ the anger‚ the vitriol‚ the chaos‚ the polarization is gonna worsen. The only way to end that is through my successful candidacy.” WATCH: RFK Jr. announces No Spoiler Pledge: “This is a pledge that I offer to take if President Biden also takes it” 1. “Both parties agree to co-fund‚ in mid-October‚ a 50-state poll with 30K or more likely voters” 2. “The survey will test the results of a head-to-head race pitting… pic.twitter.com/6gwEvFaaEd — Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) May 1‚ 2024 Kennedy24 stated: “To be a spoiler‚ a candidate has to fulfill two requirements — first‚ they must not be able to win themselves‚ and‚ second‚ by participating in the election‚ they must prevent someone else from winning who otherwise would‚” Kennedy explained. By that criterion‚ the only spoiler in the race is President Biden. He is the one who cannot win against either candidate and whose presence gives Trump the victory instead of Kennedy. After presenting the detailed findings at a press conference on May 1 in Brooklyn‚ New York‚ Kennedy called on President Biden to step aside so that he could provide American voters with their only viable alternative to four more years of Donald Trump. WATCH: President Biden cannot statistically win this election. Our campaign’s Director of Content‚ Jonathan Hiller‚ explains why.#rfkjr #kennedy24 #kennedyshanahan24 pic.twitter.com/Py2emqkM7l — Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) May 1‚ 2024 “We only have one chance to beat Donald Trump‚ and we need a nominee who can get the job done. And that would be me‚” RFK Jr. reportedly said during the presentation. POLITICO reports: Kennedy then called on Biden to take a “No Spoiler Pledge‚” and withdraw from the race if he were to perform worse than Kennedy in a head-to-head matchup with Trump in a 30‚000-plus person poll in mid-October. Kennedy said he would be happy to make a similar appeal to the former president as well‚ but Trump “is not a spoiler because he can actually win.” The presentation seemed aimed at responding to attacks from both parties about his ability to swing the general election. Kennedy has undergone a barrage from Trump in particular in recent days‚ with the former president saying on social media that supporting Kennedy amounted to a “wasted vote.” Democrats have not been shy about their critiques of Kennedy either‚ standing up an operation with veteran campaign strategists to combat third-party threats like Kennedy. Democratic National Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni said Kenendy’s proposal to get Biden to drop out is “as deeply unserious his campaign is.”

According to a Bloomberg report‚ President Trump has allegedly narrowed his list of vice presidential candidates to four individuals. As 100 Percent Fed Up previously noted‚ a group of politicians are heading off to Florida for a retreat. “These VP hopefuls are following in past contestants’ footsteps‚ where before they competed to win a job position for Trump’s organization‚” 100 Percent Fed Up stated. Trump’s VP Hopefuls Head To Florida For Retreat &;quot;An exclusive donor retreat at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach this week promises a similar vibe — drawing hundreds of deep-pocketed GOP backers as well as allies eyeing the No. 2 spot on the Republican presidential ticket‚&;quot; Bloomberg stated. &;quot;The spectacle comes as Trump is narrowing his gaze on a handful of potential running mates‚&;quot; the outlet continued. Bloomberg cited four names as Trump VP hopefuls: Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) Now‚ it's important to remember this isn't from Trump or anyone with his campaign. It wouldn't be a surprise if Trump is considering other candidates who aren't on this list. 🚨Just in: President Trump is winnowing down his Vice Presidential selection to👇 North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum Florida Senator Marco RubioOhio Senator JD VanceSouth Carolina Tim Scott Source: Bloomberg News pic.twitter.com/tRpURyKhcm — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) May 2‚ 2024 Bloomberg News report: Trump’s VP shortlist has been narrowed down to: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum Florida Senator Marco RubioOhio Senator JD VanceSouth Carolina Tim Scott What do you think&;#63; Personally Vivek not making the cut is disappointing but not surprising pic.twitter.com/Wz0pzv87sd — Being Libertarian (@beinlibertarian) May 2‚ 2024 BREAKING: According to Bloomberg‚ Trump VP list is winnowing down to North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum‚ Senator Marco Rubio‚ Senator JD Vance and Senator Tim Scott. Who do you support for VP&;#63; pic.twitter.com/1Fff330GyQ — Mary Frost (@MaryyFrost) May 2‚ 2024 Per Bloomberg: Scott‚ Rubio and Vance all offer valuable experience raising money for Senate campaigns. Burgum‚ who sold his software company to Microsoft Corp. for $1.1 billion in 2001‚ has contacts in tech and energy sectors that could also help him woo wealthy donors. Trump has publicly praised all four candidates recently‚ but Trump and Rubio have a history of trading barbs. During the 2016 Republican primary‚ Trump dubbed the Florida Senator “Little Marco‚” and Rubio called Trump “the most vulgar person.” On Wednesday‚ Trump called Rubio “great” and “one of the people I respect.” “Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying‚ unless the person is named Donald J. Trump‚” Trump senior advisor Brian Hughes said. The outlet noted Trump is expected to name his running mate closer to the July 15th Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. “We’ll be making that decision I think closer to Wisconsin time‚” Trump said in an interview this week‚ according to Bloomberg. “It’s very early right now‚&;quot; he added. NEW: Trump VP list is winnowing down to Gov Burgum‚ Sens Rubio‚ Vance + Scott. They will appear w/donors at RNC retreat in Palm Beach this weekend. No formal meetings with Trump yet to talk about the job (tho he speaks to all of them regularly): https://t.co/20LrzEEsrP — Nancy Cook (@nancook) May 2‚ 2024 Share your thoughts in the comments.

Democrat Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation Thursday to repeal the state’s 160-year-old ban on most abortions. Just one day earlier‚ the Arizona state Senate voted to repeal the ban. “Democrats in the state Senate succeeded in peeling away enough Republican votes to repeal an abortion ban first passed in 1864‚” Arizona Mirror wrote. “The push to repeal it came after the state Supreme Court ruled it was once again enforceable‚ and Hobbs’ signature ended weeks of turmoil as the Republican-majority legislature grappled with the political fallout‚” the outlet added. However‚ the repeal won’t take effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends‚ which is typically in June or July. WATCH: MOMENTS AGO: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signs repeal of 1864 abortion ban. pic.twitter.com/lVykal2JCd — MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 2‚ 2024 “Today‚ we are doing what 23 governors and 55 legislatures refused to do and I am so proud to be the ones that got this job done‚” Hobbs said. WATCH: Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill Thursday to repeal a ban on most abortions‚ relegating the 1864 law approved before Arizona became a state. The repeal won’t go into effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends‚ which typically is June or July. pic.twitter.com/dm3R2L6ZPo — The Associated Press (@AP) May 2‚ 2024 From the Associated Press: The effort to repeal the long-dormant law‚ which bans all abortions except those done to save a patient’s life‚ won final legislative approval Wednesday in a 16-14 vote of the Senate‚ as two GOP lawmakers joined with Democrats. Hobbs denounced “a ban that was passed by 27 men before Arizona was even a state‚ at a time when America was at war over the right to own slaves‚ a time before women could even vote.” “This ban needs to be repealed‚ I said it in 2022 when Roe was overturned‚ and I said it again and again as governor‚” Hobbs said during the bill signing. In early April‚ Arizona’s Supreme Court voted to restore the 1864 law that provided no exceptions for rape or incest and allows abortions only if the mother’s life is in jeopardy. The majority opinion suggested doctors could be prosecuted and sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted. Today‚ we did what 23 governors and 55 legislatures refused to do and repealed the 1864 Civil War-era total abortion ban. I will do everything in my power to protect our reproductive freedoms‚ because I trust women to make the decisions that are best for them‚ and know… pic.twitter.com/32LMZBICnU — Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) May 2‚ 2024 The Arizona Legislature voted to repeal a near-total abortion ban from 1864‚ sending the bill to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs‚ who is expected to sign it. pic.twitter.com/TCZDbbkwQY — The Associated Press (@AP) May 2‚ 2024 Arizona Mirror reports: But while Hobbs’ approval removes that threat from state law‚ she noted that access to abortion is still not guaranteed. With the repeal of the 1864 law‚ a 2022 law banning abortions after 15 weeks takes precedence. That law prohibits abortions beyond its gestational deadline unless a woman faces permanent injury or life-threatening medical complications. Doctors who violate its provisions are subject to a class 6 felony and revoked licenses. It includes no exceptions for rape or incest‚ and reproductive rights advocates have sounded the alarm over what they view as insufficient protections for women dealing with pregnancy complications; in other states with similarly restrictive laws‚ doctors have reported delaying care as long as possible to avoid criminalization‚ leading to worse health outcomes for their patients. And while the repeal of the 1864 law is now finalized‚ it won’t be effective until months after the state Supreme Court ruled it can be enforced on June 27. That’s because bills signed by the governor don’t go into effect until 90 days after the end of the legislative session‚ and with the state budget still being negotiated‚ that likely won’t happen for several more weeks yet‚ pushing the repeal’s effectiveness date into the fall at the earliest. On Thursday‚ Hobbs told reporters her office and legislative leadership are still working on the budget‚ and said she expects a final plan to be reached “soon” but didn’t expand beyond that. In response to the conflicting timelines‚ Democrats and abortion advocacy groups have sought to use legal maneuvers to delay the reimplementation of the 1864 law until the repeal can go into effect. Earlier this week‚ one day before the repeal was successful‚ Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a motion with the state Supreme Court requesting a 90-day reprieve while her office explored the possibility of appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. And hours after the repeal bill passed the state Senate‚ Planned Parenthood Arizona‚ the state’s largest abortion provider‚ filed a motion asking the state Supreme Court to delay its ruling in light of the legislature’s action. The Arizona Supreme Court has ordered parties in the case to file arguments on whether to approve a delay by next week.

1822 - Society for the Propagation of the Faith founded in Lyon‚ France 1921 - Northern Ireland is created under the UK Government of Ireland Act partitioning off six north eastern counties with a Protestant majority 1943 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Upton Sinclair for his novel &;quot;Dragon's Teeth&;quot; about the Nazi rise to power 1946 - International military tribunal in Tokyo begins 1959 - Tiger's Charlie Maxwell hits 4 consecutive HRs in a doubleheader 1965 - KTCI TV channel 17 in St. Paul-Minneapolis‚ MN (PBS) 1st broadcast 1967 - African American students seize finance building at Northwestern University 1973 - Chicago's Sears Tower‚ world's tallest building (443 m)‚ tops out 1980 - 106th Kentucky Derby: Jacinto Vasquez on Genuine Risk wins in 2:02 1997 - 123rd Kentucky Derby: Gary Stevens aboard Silver Charm wins in 2:02.3 More Historical Events »