Watching our kids grow up isn’t easy. The teenage years can be particularly tumultuous and scary for parents as they come to grips with the fact that their children are nearing adulthood. These emotions aren’t lost on celebrity parents whose children grow up just like ours do. County superstar Jason Alden, 47, is a father to four children. He shares daughters Keely, 21, and Kendyl, 17, with his first wife Jessica Ussery. He also has two children with his current wife Brittany, a son Memphis, 6, and a daughter, Navy, 5. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) Jason Aldean Is A Proud Father While Jason Aldean doesn’t often post pictures of his kids on social media, he didn’t want his daughter Kendyl’s 17th birthday to pass without a few sweet words. Jason shared a message of love and gratitude for her on August 20. Jason wrote in the caption of his Instagram post,   “As parents we spend all the young years runnin and gunnin, just trying to keep up and raise good humans. One day you wake up and they are almost grown and you realize you did pretty good at this dad thing. I can’t believe it’s been 17 years since you came in the world. You have been such a joy for all of us watching you grow up and seeing what kind of person you are. I’m so proud of you and all you stand for. I love u so much and hope u have the best day. Happy bday Kendyl.” Fans Shared In The Birthday Celebration One wrote, “Happy birthday to your beautiful daughter! I hope God continues to bless your beautiful family.” Another person shared this wish. “Happy birthday. 17 Wow, unreal how fast the time has gone. She is a beautiful young lady.” Happy birthday, Kendyl. You’ve certainly made your dad proud. May all of your birthday wishes come true this year. This story’s featured image is by Debby Wong via Shutterstock. The post Jason Aldean Shares Rare Photos To Celebrate Daughter’s 17th Birthday appeared first on InspireMore.

Let’s take a look at ten ways to “be still” and surrender to the Lord in our daily lives.

If you are sensing some sort of disconnect from God but desperately long to feel the grace, comfort, and peace of his sweet presence, will you remember that he is just as connected to you in the seeming distance as he is in the moments you experience his greatest intimacy?

In the world of evangelical missions, it’s common to appeal to Paul’s example when developing or defending missionary praxis. Many seek to articulate a Pauline approach or critique others for diverting from it. While Roland Allen wasn’t the first to do this, his classic work on Paul’s missionary methods presented them as the plumb line for contemporary missions. More recently, some missiologists have questioned the degree to which we’re called to follow Paul’s example, but I’m convinced we have much to learn from the great apostle to the nations (Rom. 11:13). However, whenever we seek to construct missionary methods based on a Pauline model, we encounter various challenges. Much of Paul’s life and ministry isn’t revealed in Scripture. Even when we can observe what he did, we don’t always know why he did it. Most challenging of all, missiologists must come to terms with how Paul’s calling and world were far different from ours. This doesn’t negate the possibility, or even necessity, of following Paul’s missionary example, but it suggests we must be careful when trying to reconstruct a Pauline approach. Critical Differences Any attempt to build a methodology from Paul’s ministry must reckon with the reality that he wasn’t your average missionary. Paul was uniquely called and specifically commissioned by our Lord. While the Bible can use the term apostolos for a variety of people, the church has long acknowledged a defined group of individuals who hold unique authority to transmit Christ’s teaching and thus serve as the foundation for his church (Eph. 2:20). Paul was one of those apostles. No missionary today can claim a similar apostolic position. We don’t speak on behalf of Christ with the same authority, nor should we expect churches to receive our teaching in the same way. While this truth is rarely debated, it means we can’t always assume a one-to-one correspondence between Paul’s ministry and ours. It’s like comparing a foundation stone to a roof rafter. Paul didn’t only have a unique role in the founding of the church; certain historical factors also make his example rarely replicable. From what we know, Paul never had to learn another language. Wherever he went, he could operate in Greek or Aramaic or Hebrew. And although culture wasn’t monolithic in the Roman Empire, Paul wasn’t a cultural outsider in the way many missionaries are today. He possessed a deep awareness of social dynamics and could quote popular sources, bringing the gospel to bear on the various groups he encountered. Paul didn’t only have a unique role in the founding of the church; certain historical factors also make his example rarely replicable. For most cross-cultural missionaries today, attaining a similar fluency and aptitude in their context could easily take more than a decade. They can’t walk into a global city or a tribal village and immediately communicate the gospel as clearly or effectively as Paul. Remaining Unknowns Another major reason it’s hard to form a missionary strategy from Paul’s example is that there’s so much we simply don’t know. For example, what was Paul doing during the “silent years” of his ministry? Why did he travel to Arabia, and what did he do there? When he visited Jerusalem, did he receive instructions—or even an assignment—from the church or the other apostles? When Paul landed back in his home region of Cilicia for nearly a decade, what was his mission? Through reports of his later travels, we learn of a church (or churches) in Cilicia (Acts 15:41), but we can only speculate about their founding or what part Paul played in them. This raises another question we can’t fully answer: Did Paul often travel where the gospel had already gone? At Pentecost, we know there were Jews and proselytes in Jerusalem from across the Roman Empire (2:5–11). Many of those Pentecost pilgrims received the gospel and likely returned home. When we read of Paul traveling to some of those same cities and regions (about 15 years later), he appears to encounter those who’ve already believed, such as Apollos or Aquila and Priscilla (18:2, 24). It’s quite possible many of the places Paul visited already had disciples and churches (see 19:1). If that’s the case, it gives us a different perspective on Paul’s pioneer work. Missiologists sometimes infer certain missiological priorities or ministry timelines based on Paul’s travels. However, it’s hard to discern a self-conscious strategy from Paul’s example since he was so often on the run. We simply don’t know how long Paul may have stayed in a certain place, given the opportunity. In the case of Cilicia, Paul was there 10 years before Barnabas asked for his help in Antioch. In every other city, Paul seems to have been forced out against his will. Even in Ephesus and Corinth, the places where he remained the longest, we have good reason to believe Paul left because of persecution (20:3) or to avoid further escalation (v. 1). Example to Follow Given what we know of Paul’s ministry—as well as what we don’t—we must admit reconstructing a Pauline model for missions is incredibly complicated. We’re not able to appropriate everything Paul did, nor can we take one anecdote from his ministry and make it an all-encompassing approach. Biblical descriptions of his mission aren’t necessarily meant to supply us with a blueprint to follow. It’s hard to discern a self-conscious strategy from Paul’s example since he so often was on the run. Nevertheless, as we consider Paul’s ministry, we can observe self-conscious priorities and patterns of ministry instructive for us today. For example, wherever Paul goes, we find him “occupied with the word” (18:5), proclaiming the gospel and teaching the “whole counsel of God” (20:27). Paul repeatedly says he desires converts who are sanctified in the Spirit and mature in Christ (Rom. 15:16–18; Col. 1:28); therefore, he prioritizes long-term relationships and deep discipleship—even when he’s forced to leave a place prematurely. Paul is clearly eager to push into new territories with the gospel (Rom. 15:20), but that ambition doesn’t preempt his concern for the churches in his care (2 Cor. 10:13–16; 11:28). So he constantly writes to and visits those congregations, and eventually he entrusts them to local leaders who will show that same commitment to the gospel and their faith. Missionaries are right to follow Paul’s example. We should note that Paul, writing with apostolic authority, repeatedly instructs churches to imitate him (Phil. 4:9; 1 Thess. 1:6). He specifically charges church leaders to follow his pattern of life, both his faithful teaching and his sacrificial suffering (Acts 20:17–35; 2 Tim. 1:8–2:3). And, perhaps most pertinent for this discussion, Paul calls all believers to emulate his evangelistic ambition, doing everything for the glory of God and the salvation of the nations (1 Cor. 10:31–11:1). His is an example we all should follow.

You don’t have to be an Olympian to know that a gymnast isn’t done after her in-air activity. No matter how many twists or flips happen in the air, landing is a make-or-break moment. A similar dynamic is at play for the college freshman. Getting to the first semester of college was hard work; it required preparation and discernment. Now, after all the college applications, placement exams, scholarship essays, and FAFSA forms, you’re finally on campus. Will the “in-air” work you’ve done up to this point pay off? Will you land well? Here’s how a Christian college student can stick the landing first semester. 1. Quickly find a healthy church. If college has taken you away from your childhood church, look for a new church family right away. First, do some research. Ask a pastor at your home church if he can recommend churches near your college. If he doesn’t know of any personally, ask him if the denomination or network your church is affiliated with has a church directory, or look up local churches in the TGC church directory. Second, limit the time you spend “church shopping.” Check out two to four of the top churches you discover in your research. Don’t waste a Sunday. Visit with purpose. Talk to the people in the pews and the people behind the welcome desk if the church has one. Ask them what they love about their church, and listen intently to their answers. Listen for how each church talks about the Bible, making sure they see it as God’s authoritative Word and “rightly [handle] the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Listen to the preaching. Does the pastor jet ski over the surface of the Word or dive in deep? Does the sermon merely entertain, or does it clearly explain and apply the Bible passage? Aside from the teaching, pay attention to the culture of the place. Do people seem to know each other? Is there an air of humility and honesty? Do the people seem to enjoy God and one another? Know ahead of time that you won’t find a perfect church. There are no perfect churches. You’re just looking for a healthy and faithful one. So after your short church-shopping phase, make the pivot from evaluation to participation. Pursue membership. Look for opportunities to serve. Bring some friends. And resist the urge to church shop indefinitely. Plants don’t grow well when they’re constantly uprooted and transplanted. Neither do Christians. 2. Anticipate loneliness. One of the great paradoxes of college is that you’re around so many people but, as a freshman, you still may feel alone, unseen, and unsettled. There are no perfect churches. You’re just looking for a healthy and faithful one. My first few months of college were a blur of new friendships, adventure, and discovery, but one day in that first semester, the bottom fell out. It dawned on me that none of these new friends really knew me. My life consisted of four-week-old friendships. My new friends knew nothing about my hometown, my siblings, and 99 percent of my story. Eight hundred miles from home, I felt so alone. There will be moments this semester when you’ll feel alone too. See that inevitable loneliness as an invitation into deeper intimacy with God. Take refuge in and grow your friendship with Jesus Christ. Read and study his Word. Pray daily. And know that the Lord’s presence is no less available to you than it was to Paul when he was alone: “No one came to stand by me. . . . But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:16–17). God’s friendship is no less available to you than it was to David, who wrote, “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him” (Ps. 25:14). Loneliness will come. When it does, lean on the Lord. He’s your refuge. He’s the God of all comfort. He’s near. 3. Live on mission. The Lord brought you to college—a specific season in a particular place (Acts 17:26–27). Embrace it with intention by living on mission. In Colossians 4, Paul outlines what this looks like: Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (vv. 3–6) Notice three activities Paul models in the text: how to pray, how to walk, and how to talk. First, pray for open doors. In God’s sovereignty, there are no random roommate assignments. Pray expectantly for the people around you. Pray that God would give you an opportunity to talk to them about the gospel. Second, walk in wisdom toward outsiders. Campus life in a pluralistic society is complicated. Learn to listen before you speak. Then read books that model wise evangelism. Through reading, you can learn to walk with the boldness of Spurgeon and the winsomeness of a modern-day apologist like Rebecca McLaughlin. Finally, speak with gracious clarity, shaping your message for each person you encounter. Perhaps your wise words in a brief encounter will help to prepare the soil of an unbeliever’s heart for the next time he meets a Christian. And perhaps the Lord will allow you to cultivate a meaningful friendship and give you a front-row seat as he draws a lost sinner to himself. The Lord brought you to college—a specific season in a particular place. Embrace it with intention by living on mission. Believing college freshman, be encouraged. I’m confident you’re going to land well because of the gospel. Paul says that if you’ve trusted Christ, “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). This means your life is no longer measured by your capabilities, your successes, or even your sins. The next four years aren’t about finding yourself, because God has already found you. College isn’t about proving yourself, because Christ’s perfect righteousness has been given to you. You are his. So as you begin your freshman year, be intentional about community, devotion, and mission. But also know he holds you while you’re “in the air” and will uphold you as you stick the landing.

Don Carson’s lecture on the timing and nature of Jesus’s second coming explores the tension between belief in an imminent return and the necessity of specific prophetic events preceding it. He critiques dispensationalist interpretations, arguing against the presence of clear signs preceding Christ’s return and emphasizing biblical coherence in eschatological understanding.

The Democratic National Convention is in full swing and, unfortunately, so is the Regime Media. The Regime sycophants at MSNBC, consumed by their collective desire to imprint the Harris candidacy into the American psyche, have now proclaimed Harris to be “the future”.  With Joe Biden vanishing in the rear-view mirror, the “Hope and Change” nostalgia has been ramped up to 20. Watch as MSNBC’s non-Maddow 9PM host proclaims Obama and Harris to represent “the future”: Per MSNBC's Alex Wagner, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris represent the future, and are "a powerful, distressing idea if you are part of the white patriarchy like Donald Trump and his supporters..." pic.twitter.com/AFYpiLfr7R — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) August 21, 2024 It is unclear to me how a president who termed out 8 years ago is “the future”, but MSNBC is running that in the hopes of projecting Harris as the next avatar of Obamism. This stuff is the coverage equivalent of the creepy Shepard Fairey poster. Everything is a contrived callback to “Hope and Change”. This includes the incessant evocation of the “coalition of the ascendant” that would permanently transform American politics upon elevating Obama to power. Wagner does that here, per her usual racial minimalism: WAGNER: So nobody's ready to write the epigraph for the Trump years, but I do think, you know, it's a powerful suggestion, right? That Barack Obama is the future. That Kamala Harris is the future and that Donald Trump is the past. And indeed, that demographic reality lies at the core of so much of Donald Trump's power over his audience, right? The idea that a multicultural inclusive America is actually the road we're heading down, and that the sort of white patriarchal society that allowed Donald Trump to profiteer as much as he has is going into the rear view, right? That's a powerful, distressing idea if you are part of the white patriarchy like Donald Trump.  It is important to remember that this is someone who found looked at JD Vance’s desire to bury his family in the family plot as an instance of white supremacy. Now, in the service of that same racial essentialism, Wagner pitches Obama and Harris as the antidote to that white supremacy. The Regime Media have reverted to the Hope and Change playbook. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on MSNBC Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 20th, 2024: MSNBC DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION 8/20/24 6:11 PM JOY REID: Because earlier, Nicolle Wallace- our wonderful friend Nicolle Wallace was talking about the ways in which the Harris/Walz ticket has kind of shoved Donald Trump off of the stage, and I think about the Obamas in that same way, right? You know, Barack Obama is the guy who embarrassed Donald Trump at a White House Correspondents Dinner, so much so, that Donald Trump vowed to become president and his presidency is seen in so many ways as, you know, rejectionism against Obama. The anger and rage that this man had been a black president for two terms produced Donald Trump's presidency. You know, what are you hearing and what are people saying about the idea that maybe Kamala Harris has sort of ended the Trump Era, right? I mean, because there- there is that sort of sense that this era was a hot fire that can't continue to burn forever and that maybe the answer though is -- to it is Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, this gargantuan teamwork of the Democratic Party. ALEX WAGNER: Well. I mean, I’ve heard some con- people are very articulate in their enthusiasm but they always end it with, you know, “We have work ahead. It's going to be a tight election.” People understand that this- you know, Kamala Harris hasn't run away with this by a long shot, right? So nobody's ready to write the epigraph for the Trump years, but I do think, you know, it's a powerful suggestion, right? That Barack Obama is the future. That Kamala Harris is the future and that Donald Trump is the past. And indeed, that demographic reality lies at the core of so much of Donald Trump's power over his audience, right? The idea that a multicultural inclusive America is actually the road we're heading down, and that the sort of white patriarchal society that allowed Donald Trump to profiteer as much as he has is going into the rear view, right? That's a powerful, distressing idea if you are part of the white patriarchy like Donald Trump. And supporters who see change, who see people like Barack Obama, who see people like Kamala Harris, you know, multi-ethnic leaders, multi-racial progressive leaders, and are scared of that vision, right? The idea that this might be the norm. And that Trumpism and MAGAism are the things of yesterday, veering their heads for one last gasp? Man, that's powerful stuff. And I think, you know, one of the great things about the way Kamala Harris and Barack Obama have handled this is they don't sort of allude to that reality with fear or with triumphalism, but they say we can all be part of the future no matter the color of our skin is. And I think, indeed tonight is going to be the classic Obama -- I'm not sure he's going to say there's no red America, no blue America, there's only the United States of America, but I think that idea that we're all in it together? That “ism" is going to be something we hear about because Kamala Harris is a direct manifestation of that, and their friendship was forged over that reality.   

Sweating sickness was so deadly that it once killed 15,000 people in England in just six weeks — but we still don't know what caused it. The post The Mysterious History Of Sweating Sickness, The Deadly Illness That Haunted Tudor England For Decades — Then Vanished appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Michelle Obama Has Had a 'Palpable Sense of Dread About the Future' Until Recently

Chuck Schumer and Tim Walz Have a Dance-Off