July 24, 2024 From Next to NowFELICIA CAID SMITH, COMPEL Pro Member Lee en español "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34 (ESV) Lord, please give me a glimpse of what's next. I prayed these words repeatedly, becoming more desperate with each repetition. Once again, I felt like a dinghy on the ocean, but, oh, how I wanted a cruise ship kind of life. When you go on a cruise, you see the itinerary beforehand and know the exact ports at which the ship is expected to dock. On some cruise lines, you can even turn on the TV in your room and watch a map of the ship sailing across the water, following the charted course to each destination, perfectly on schedule. That's what I wanted for my life. To clarify, I didn't want to steer the boat. God is my Captain - I surrendered my life and will to Him long ago. But as a meticulous planner and a recovering "control freak," I still felt anxious in uncertain times when the unknown loomed in the distance. I wanted a clear map of my future, so I strained to see through the fog, begging God to show me where I was going and when I would finally get there. Have you ever wished you had a bird's-eye view of the course God has charted for you?Maybe you've asked questions like: God, will my health be restored? Will I find another job?Will I ever feel love again? Will the hurt ever heal? God, what's next? The truth is that when we turn a corner and get a glimpse of where we're going, there's always another corner, another unknown. We could spend our entire lives craning our necks, straining our eyes, striving for a glimpse of tomorrow. But Jesus said, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). He instructed His followers instead to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" (Matthew 6:33, ESV). So instead of only striving for what's next, let's seek God in the now. Instead of always peering around the corner, let's fix our eyes on the Lord. I've prayed "what's next" prayers for most of my life, but recently, God has changed my prayer to something entirely different. I want to encourage you today to join me in praying this new prayer when you feel like asking, God, what's next? Seek the Kingdom and pray: God, bless me with Your presence. Call on Him to be with you here and now, and trust Him with tomorrow. Heavenly Father, the unknowns of tomorrow are in Your hands. I am giving my cares to You, and I trust You in all things. Today, I want to seek Your Kingdom. Please bless me with Your presence. Lord, I just want more of You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Do you feel stuck on what next steps you should take in your writing journey? Maybe you are passionate about what God's put on your heart to share, but you also feel paralyzed about how to turn that message into a meaningful piece of content or even a manuscript. That's why we created COMPEL Pro! When you become a member today, you'll stay motivated to pursue your writing goals by connecting with a community that will help hold you accountable when you feel like quitting ... again. Join now! ENGAGE Today's devotion writer, Felicia Caid Smith, is a member of COMPEL Pro. Receive writing tips on your social media feeds when you follow COMPEL Pro on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! For countless free articles on the writing life, check out the COMPEL Pro Blog! FOR DEEPER STUDY Luke 12:29-31, "And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you" (ESV). In what ways have your thoughts about tomorrow robbed you of today's purpose and blessings? How can you seek the Kingdom today? We'd love to hear your thoughts - share them in the comments! © 2024 by Felicia Caid Smith. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post From Next to Now – Encouragement for Today – July 24, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Historical Events 1701 - French trade rand soldier Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founds trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, later becomes the city of Detroit 1952 - US President Harry Truman settles 53-day steel strike 1991 - Universityof Manchester scientist announce finding a planet outside of solar system 1994 - Federation Cup Women's Tennis, Frankfurt, Germany: Spain retains title with 3-0 win over US; Arantxa Sánchez Vicario clinches victory with 6-2, 6-1 win over Lindsay Davenport 2017 - Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner says he did not collude with Russia after meeting with Senate investigators 2019 - Special counsel Robert Mueller reports to the US Senate that President Trump was not exonerated of obstruction of justice and that Russia interfered in US election to benefit Trump More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1803 - Alexander Jackson Davis, American architect (gothic revivalist), born in New York City (d. 1892) 1867 - Edward Frederic Benson, English novelist, born in Wellington College, Berkshire, England (d. 1940) 1888 - Arthur Richardson, Australian cricket all-rounder (9 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 100, 12 wickets; South Australia, Western Australia), born in Sevenhill, Clare, Australia (d. 1973) 1930 - Boris Nikolayevich Belousov, Soviet cosmonaut, born in Khotimsk, Mogilyov Oblast (d. 1998) 1934 - Sante Kimes 'Dragon Lady', American convicted con artist and murderess, born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (d. 2014) 1943 - Lyudmila Bragina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR 1500m 1972 WR 4:01.38), born in Yekaterinburg, Russia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1758 - John Dyer, Welsh painter and poet (Grongar Hill), dies at 58 1900 - Ferdinand Hamet, Dutch missionary in Mongolia, murdered at 59 1992 - Sam Berger, Canadian football owner (b. 1900) 1995 - Jerzy Bonawentura Toeplitz, Ukrainian-Polish filmmaker and film educator (Polish Film School), dies at 94 2014 - Ik-Hwan Bae, South Korean-American violinist (Bargemusic, 1982-95) and educator (Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, 1999-2014), dies of cancer at 57 2023 - Trevor Francis, British soccer forward (52 caps; Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Sampdoria, Sheffield Wed) and manager (QPR, Sheffield Wed, Birmingham City, Crystal Pal), dies of a heart attack at 69 More Famous Deaths »

Mitch Ryder had hits in the 60s and has been making musicsince, but if he had a hit now it would ruin his day

Judge how Aussie rockers Battlesnake sound by how they look and you’ll be making a big mistake

Why does being offended matter? Read herer about what your offense impacts.

That's my quarterback

We are now quite deep into the propaganda portion of the transition from Biden to Harris. How deep? NBC News is basically running youth commercials as “reports”. Watch, as we wonder whether Antonia Hylton’s report qualifies as an in-kind donation to the Harris campaign: ANTONIA HYLTON: In battleground Michigan, young voters are processing President Joe Biden's historic decision to exit the race. Already, momentum is shifting to his Vice President, Kamala Harris. AUDREY CLAYTON: I think she really has an opportunity now to rebrand herself and introduce herself to the country in a new way. HYLTON: These Gen Zers are all Democrats and have never had the opportunity to vote for a president who wasn't in their 70s or 80s.  What do you think it is about her? NABILA CHOWDHURY: We know that she’s a powerhouse speaker. DIVA PATEL: She has a level of authenticity that, you know- you don't always see from politicians. HYLTON: For weeks, young people have been sharing memes across social media, highlighting Harris' speeches and affectations. One Gen Z favorite -- VOICE_ALTERED TIK TOK VIDEO: You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? HYLTON: A may 2023 speech in which Harris shared something her mother used to say. HARRIS: You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you. Endless airing of Kamala-themed Tik Tok memes are the 2024 equivalent of Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on Arsenio Hall. A contrived event made to look spontaneous and intended to convey some connection to “the youths”. This is CCP-level propaganda from a Regime Media that were despondent until, literally, a couple of days ago.  Again, the whole thing played like a campaign commercial. Even the part of the story dealing with protests over the war in Gaza were met with hope that Harris would deliver a cease-fire. As is often the case with propaganda, it does not square up with real life. 10-second Google searches of the four panelists determined that only the young man, Chandler Ramsey, did not have any readily apparent affiliations to partisan organizations. And perhaps this may be why he drew the least amount of time on camera. Among the young women, a different story:  Audrey Clayton is the co-president of the University of Michigan chapter of “Students for Biden”. Diva Patel was a staffer for Governor Gretchen Whitmer until December of 2023. Nabila Chowdhury is an intern for U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA). In simple terms, 75% of the youth panel assembled by Antonia Hylton were current or aspiring Democrat operatives. Something to consider in the midst of this onslaught of pro-Harris propaganda put forth by the Regime Media. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on NBC Nightly News on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024: NBC NIGHTLY NEWS 7/23/24 6:50 PM LESTER HOLT: And more now on our top story, the seismic shakeup in the 2024 race. Before withdrawing, President Biden was losing ground with younger voters. Antonia Hylton went to a key battleground to find out if Kamala Harris can win them back. ANTONIA HYLTON: In battleground Michigan, young voters are processing President Joe Biden's historic decision to exit the race. Already, momentum is shifting to his Vice President, Kamala Harris. AUDREY CLAYTON: I think she really has an opportunity now to rebrand herself and introduce herself to the country in a new way. HYLTON: These Gen Zers are all Democrats and have never had the opportunity to vote for a president who wasn't in their 70s or 80s.  What do you think it is about her? NABILA CHOWDHURY: We know that she’s a powerhouse speaker. DIVA PATEL: She has a level of authenticity that, you know- you don't always see from politicians. HYLTON: For weeks, young people have been sharing memes across social media, highlighting Harris' speeches and affectations. One Gen Z favorite -- VOICE_ALTERED TIK TOK VIDEO: You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? HYLTON: A may 2023 speech in which Harris shared something her mother used to say. HARRIS: You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you. PATEL: Growing up, I didn't think that an Indian woman like me could even be involved in politics. HYLTON: They're worried about reproductive rights, gun control and climate change. CLAYTON: She has been the Biden campaign's most effective messenger on the issue of abortion access and reproductive freedom. HYLTON: But young people have been unsure about Biden. In Michigan, a state with a large Muslim population, many communities are outraged by the Israel-Hamas war and grateful to Harris, who has long pushed for a ceasefire. CHOWDHURY: That's the bare minimum that we've been asking for. And I think the main issue is that we're not seeing any change. I think we will stay uncommitted until we can build trust. HYLTON: A Tufts University study found Michigan had the highest youth turnout in the nation in 2022. CHANDLER RAMSEY: I feel like this country has a long history of not really listening to the younger population. And I think Gen Z is at a point where we're just tired of feeling unheard. HYLTON: Do you think she is still going to have to fight to earn the youth vote? CLAYTON: Oh, yeah. HYLTON: But for now, they say she’s been able to breathe new life into an election they thought had gone stale. Antonia Hylton, NBC News, Ann Arbor, Michigan.