Eurovision: The silent Majority and the Vocal Minority

A 'Never Again Trump' Guide To Voting Trump

National Insecurity, Courtesy of Joe Biden

from Press For Truth:  TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by Robert Gore, Straight Line Logic: A prime number for prime money Change, like death, prompts psychological turmoil. Intellectually, most of us grasp that change is ceaseless, just as most of us realize we’re going to die. Emotionally, however, few embrace the former or accept the latter. Humanity is in the throes of a change […]

by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project: US Senators sent a letter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, threatening to impose sanctions and even invade the Hague if it issues arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Biden administration is also pressuring the ICC not to charge Israeli officials over their war […]

May 13, 2024 You Can (Safely) Get Your Hopes Up When You PrayLIZ DITTY  Lee en español "Sustain me as you promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope." Psalm 119:116 (CSB)  I scribbled frantically in my notebook as my friend and I talked quickly at the same time; our ideas were moving faster than our pens. We looked up at each other and smiled in recognition of finding a person with the same dream. For two years, I had prayed to find a friend at work, and God's answer was finally sitting across from me. But only a few months later, I learned my new friend was moving out of state. A familiar feeling settled in my stomach - the same one I had in sixth grade when my best friend, Anna, moved away. Or when my college roommate and I realized we would never share a sink again after graduation. Or when the friend who let me sit on her floor with a colicky infant said her husband was interviewing for a job far away. Had God answered my prayer only to leave me lonely again so soon? Truthfully, prayer has rarely been my most effective way to get what I want. For a long time, I thought the godliest attitude was to keep praying anyway. But too many prayers seemed to languish on heaven's front porch, expiring into disappointment. Learning how to pray felt like learning not to get my hopes up too high. But what is hope anyway? I love Dallas Willard's definition: "Hope is joyous anticipation of good that is not yet here or is ‘unseen.'" My hopes had been so fragile because I was making wishes and calling them "prayers." True hope is simple. It believes in God's Word, God's promises and God's character, as the psalmist did in Psalm 119:116: "Sustain me as you promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope." True hope believes God will never stop being with us or being good ... and no matter what happens, nothing can make that untrue or separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Like any good Father, God wants us to ask Him for what we want and need. And He delights in seeing His children enjoy His good gifts. When I'm lonely and pray for a friend, I'm hoping for more than someone I can laugh and create with. My hope is that the goodness of God - against all odds - can break into my loneliness. It did, and it will again. It's a hope that never ends in disappointment because it starts and ends with who God is and what He's like. While outcomes are unpredictable and grief is unavoidable, God is also unendingly faithful. When we're honest with God about what we want, we can be safely hopeful. When we're watching expectantly, we'll see His goodness, whatever form it takes. Dear God, there's so much I want and need, but I'm afraid to ask because I don't know if You'll say "yes." I'm scared to wait and terrified that without those things, I won't be OK. Teach me to recognize Your goodness and presence and to hope again in You alone. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS For a helpful guide to developing more honest and hopeful conversations with God, check out Liz Ditty's six-week Bible study experience, Hear My Prayer: Learning from the Faith of Elijah. If you would like to hear the truth of God's presence and goodness sung over you, enjoy Liz's curated playlist on Spotify. ENGAGE Before you go, Liz would love to hang out again soon! Visit her official website for prayer prompts, poems for the hopeful, and other free resources. You can also socialize with Liz on Instagram or Facebook. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Hear My Prayer by Liz Ditty. To celebrate this book, Liz's 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, May 20, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (CSB). What are you hoping for when you pray? Whatever your life is like right now, comment below how you have noticed God's goodness or His good gifts lately. © 2024 by Liz Ditty. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post You Can (Safely) Get Your Hopes Up When You Pray –  Encouragement for Today – May 13, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

May 13, 2024 You Can (Safely) Get Your Hopes Up When You PrayLIZ DITTY  Lee en español "Sustain me as you promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope." Psalm 119:116 (CSB)  I scribbled frantically in my notebook as my friend and I talked quickly at the same time; our ideas were moving faster than our pens. We looked up at each other and smiled in recognition of finding a person with the same dream. For two years, I had prayed to find a friend at work, and God's answer was finally sitting across from me. But only a few months later, I learned my new friend was moving out of state. A familiar feeling settled in my stomach - the same one I had in sixth grade when my best friend, Anna, moved away. Or when my college roommate and I realized we would never share a sink again after graduation. Or when the friend who let me sit on her floor with a colicky infant said her husband was interviewing for a job far away. Had God answered my prayer only to leave me lonely again so soon? Truthfully, prayer has rarely been my most effective way to get what I want. For a long time, I thought the godliest attitude was to keep praying anyway. But too many prayers seemed to languish on heaven's front porch, expiring into disappointment. Learning how to pray felt like learning not to get my hopes up too high. But what is hope anyway? I love Dallas Willard's definition: "Hope is joyous anticipation of good that is not yet here or is ‘unseen.'" My hopes had been so fragile because I was making wishes and calling them "prayers." True hope is simple. It believes in God's Word, God's promises and God's character, as the psalmist did in Psalm 119:116: "Sustain me as you promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope." True hope believes God will never stop being with us or being good ... and no matter what happens, nothing can make that untrue or separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Like any good Father, God wants us to ask Him for what we want and need. And He delights in seeing His children enjoy His good gifts. When I'm lonely and pray for a friend, I'm hoping for more than someone I can laugh and create with. My hope is that the goodness of God - against all odds - can break into my loneliness. It did, and it will again. It's a hope that never ends in disappointment because it starts and ends with who God is and what He's like. While outcomes are unpredictable and grief is unavoidable, God is also unendingly faithful. When we're honest with God about what we want, we can be safely hopeful. When we're watching expectantly, we'll see His goodness, whatever form it takes. Dear God, there's so much I want and need, but I'm afraid to ask because I don't know if You'll say "yes." I'm scared to wait and terrified that without those things, I won't be OK. Teach me to recognize Your goodness and presence and to hope again in You alone. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS For a helpful guide to developing more honest and hopeful conversations with God, check out Liz Ditty's six-week Bible study experience, Hear My Prayer: Learning from the Faith of Elijah. If you would like to hear the truth of God's presence and goodness sung over you, enjoy Liz's curated playlist on Spotify. ENGAGE Before you go, Liz would love to hang out again soon! Visit her official website for prayer prompts, poems for the hopeful, and other free resources. You can also socialize with Liz on Instagram or Facebook. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Hear My Prayer by Liz Ditty. To celebrate this book, Liz's 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, May 20, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (CSB). What are you hoping for when you pray? Whatever your life is like right now, comment below how you have noticed God's goodness or His good gifts lately. © 2024 by Liz Ditty. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post You Can (Safely) Get Your Hopes Up When You Pray –  Encouragement for Today – May 13, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Historical Events 1638 - Construction of the Red Fort begins at Shahjahanabad, Mughal Empire (now Dehli, India) 1890 - 18th Preakness: W Martin aboard Montague wins in 2:36.75 1917 - 1st appearance of Mary to 3 shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal 1966 - The Rolling Stones release "Paint it Black" in the UK 1973 - "Cyrano" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 49 performances 2000 - In Enschede, the Netherlands, a fireworks factory explodes, killing 22 people, wounding 950, and resulting in approximately €450 million in damage More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1929 - Creed Taylor, American Grammy Award-winning jazz and bossa nova record producer (Stan Getz; Wes Montgomery), and label founder (Impluse!; CTI Records), born in Lynchburg, Virginia (d. 2022) 1937 - Roch Carrier, Canadian novelist (The Hockey Sweater), born in Sainte-Justine, Quebec 1939 - Hildrun Laufer-Claus, German long jumper, born in Dresden, Germany 1949 - Franklyn Ajaye, American comedian and actor (Car Wash, The Jazz Singer, Bridesmaids), born in Brooklyn, New York 1966 - Alison Goldfrapp, English singer-songwriter (Seventh Tree), born in London 1983 - Timnit Gebru, Eritrean-Ethiopian computer scientist (Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute), born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1312 - Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1263) 1951 - Marianne Philips, Dutch author (Issue Beukennoot), dies at 65 1975 - Vladislav Zolotaryov, Soviet Russian bayanist (button accordion player), and composer (Six Children's Suites), takes his own life at 53 1984 - Stanislaw Ulam, Polish-American mathematician and nuclear physicist (Manhattan Project, H-bomb), dies at 75 1985 - Leatrice Joy, silent screen star, dies in Riverdale (Bronx) NYC at 91 2009 - Frank Aletter, American character actor (Mac-It's About Time, Tom-Nancy), dies of lung cancer at 83 More Famous Deaths »

Guitarist who failed his first audition recalls making 1972 debut album for just £5,000