The Harris Honeymoon Will End, It’s What Comes After That Will Matter

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by Stefan Stanford, All News Pipeline: First, an explanation of the names. Heels Up Harris references the fact that Kamala Harris literally slept her way up the political ladder, starting with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who admitted to “dating” her, and then appointing her to posts. Tampon Tim is Tim Walz, the “stolen valor” […]

The 2nd-century dolphin mosaic. Photo by Paul Belford. Source: Heritage Innovation/PA Wire.   Archaeologists uncovered an “extremely rare” dolphin mosaic at Wroxeter Roman City in England. The aquatic floor scene is in remarkably good condition and was likely commissioned by a high-status citizen of the ancient city, which was among the largest in Roman Britain.   “Strikingly Colorful” Mosaic Is 2,000 Years Old An archaeologist at Wroxeter Roman City. Source: English Heritage/PA Wire.   Wroxeter Roman City’s well-preserved aquatic mosaic was found in a high-status townhouse dating back 2,000 years. It would have been commissioned by an especially wealthy and important citizen. Parts of the lower sections of the townhouse were also found well-preserved, with some original painted plaster still intact—an “extremely rare survival,” according to English Heritage. The mosaic’s unusual condition is due to building renovations in the third or fourth century, during which the room was filled with debris to raise up the interior of the townhouse.   In a press statement, English Heritage said, “The mosaic depicts strikingly colorful dolphins and fish. Its style dates to the second century, soon after the city was established to replace a legionary fortress.” Along with other new findings, archaeologists said the mosaic will help them better understand the ancient city’s layout, as well as the wealth and activities of its residents throughout the ages.   Excavations at Wroxeter Roman City Archaeologists cleaning the ancient dolphin mosaic. Source: Vianova Archaeology/PA Wire.   English Heritage, the University of Birmingham, Vianova Archaeology & Heritage Services, and Albion Archaeology collaborated on this year’s excavations at the Wroxeter Roman City site. In addition to the well-preserved dolphin mosaic, the team recently uncovered the ruins of a civic building and a shrine. The building, measuring about 26 feet wide and 130 feet long, was built along the city’s main road. Buttresses on the civic building’s rear wall suggest it once stood several stories tall. The shrine, comparatively small and built from stone, was originally covered with eye-catching painted plaster.   What is Wroxeter Roman City? Aerial view of Wroxeter Roman City in Shrewsbury, England. Source: English Heritage.   Wroxeter Roman City was historically known as Viriconium Cornoviorum. Established in the 90s CE as a legionary fortress, it once boasted many temples and public buildings, including a civic bathhouse, marketplace, county hall, judicial center, and colonnaded forum. At its prime, Viriconium Cornoviorum was the fourth largest settlement in Roman Britain, with a population of over 15,000 spread across 173 acres. Its location was strategically chosen to help protect the River Severn valley from Cambria (modern-day Wales) and for its proximity to Watling Street, a major Roman highway.   The settlement of Viriconium Cornoviorum likely lasted until the late seventh or early eighth century. Today, English Heritage cares for Wroxeter Roman City, along with 400 other historic buildings, monuments, and sites across the country. Visitors to the site can explore the ruins of an ancient Roman bathhouse, a museum, and a reconstructed residential building.

August 15, 2024 When Unchangeable Feels UnforgivableLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) Forgiveness is such a double-edged word. It's amazing to be forgiven but can feel so very complicated to forgive. Forgiveness can feel very unreasonable when people hurt us deeply, won't acknowledge their wrongs and refuse to apologize. I'll never forget walking into my counselor's office so consumed with pain that I could barely breathe. I hadn't washed my hair in days. I couldn't think straight. I was afraid if I started crying, I might never stop. Betrayal hadn't just broken my heart; it had shattered my family. I wasn't just hurting because of the unexpected rejection - I was grieving that my life would never look like what I pictured it to be. Grieving is dreaming in reverse. Instead of looking forward to the days to come and imagining how amazing the future will be, you desperately wish you could go back to the way life once was but fear it will never be that way again. This kind of deep grief causes many questions to surface: Does God not see what they did? Do I have to forgive them? How can I forgive them when they aren't sorry for what they did? How can I trust that the Lord will provide justice? How am I supposed to live out truths like Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you"? I've asked all of these questions and wrestled through them myself. I was desperate to have my pain acknowledged and for someone in the world to recognize that what happened was wrong. Otherwise, I felt like my forgiveness might give the impression that what happened to me wasn't that big of a deal and that my feelings didn't matter. It did matter. It was wrong. But attaching my ability to heal and move forward to the choices my offender may never be willing to make will just compound my suffering. Here are a few truths I've been learning to hang on to in my heart when I’m struggling to forgive: Forgiveness is more satisfying than revenge. You may think revenge will make you feel better in the short term, but in the long term, it will always cost you more emotionally and spiritually than you'd ever want to pay. Forgiveness doesn't let the other person off the hook. It places them in God's hands (see Romans 12:19-21). Our God is not a do-nothing God. Just like we see in Joseph's story in the Bible, there is never a single moment when God is doing nothing in our lives. Joseph’s story ends, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20, NIV). This brings such hope to a girl like me whose heart longs for justice. The purpose of forgiveness is not always reconciliation. Forgiveness doesn't mean trust is immediately restored or hard relational dynamics are instantly fixed. The point of forgiveness is to keep your heart swept clean, cooperating with God's command to forgive and keeping yourself in a position to receive God's forgiveness. Oh, friend, your heartbreak is so real. And your desire to undo what has been done is so very understandable. Forgiveness requires deep dependence on the Lord, and trusting God is a hard step to take, especially when you're hurt. But I'm also convinced it's the only step that leads to anything good. So if His Word instructs us to forgive, I believe we can trust His leading in that. Today, let's take a step toward forgiveness ... together. Lord, help me not just make peace with unchangeable things but truly move forward. I know You are not a do-nothing God, and I trust You with all the heartbreak I'll face on this side of eternity. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS It's so confusing when some people who do such wrong things seem to get away with what they did. Amid this hurt, do you ever find yourself secretly wondering ... Whose team is God really on here? Lysa TerKeurst understands. Identify hidden doubts you have about the Lord and make progress in trusting Him as you embrace biblical truths that will never change - all in Lysa's new, free resource, When the Person Who Hurt You Got Away With It: 3 Days to Moving Forward. Download now! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (NIV). Maybe you haven't cried out to the Lord in a while about the hurt you're carrying in your heart. What if you spent some time praying or even journaling about the pain you've experienced? Friend, receive His tender love and care for you today. We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post When Unchangeable Feels Unforgivable –  Encouragement for Today – August 15, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

How to experience spiritual renewal Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." – Hebrews 12:28-29 There's a story an American Lutheran bishop tells of visiting a parish church in California and seeing a stirring red and orange banner on the wall. "Come Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!" it declared in words printed under a picture of a fire burning. But what really attracted his attention during his Sunday sermon was a sign directly underneath the banner which said: "Fire extinguisher." Looking down at his sermon notes, the bishop laughed as he thought to himself, "So much for this parish's commitment to spiritual renewal!" When it comes to spiritual renewal in our lives, many Christians carry around a spiritual fire extinguisher because they're afraid of looking too "extreme" in what they believe or are afraid people will think they're crazy. But if you look at those who've followed Christ most closely in the pages of the Bible and throughout history, you'll find that while many of them were looked down upon for their faith, they were also well respected among believers and non-believers alike for sticking to their convictions. So instead of trying to control the fire of the Holy Spirit in your life, let it burn free, moving to every area and consuming all you are as you're transformed by the renewing of your mind! Prayer Challenge Offer your entire self to God and allow Him to consume everything you are! Questions for Thought If someone were to ask those whom you interact with every day about how committed you are to God, what do you think they would say? What are some areas of your life today in which you need to let God's fire burn away the impurities and give wholly to Him? Visit the Senior Living Ministries website Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post How to Experience Spiritual Renewal – Senior Living – August 15 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Let Go When You’re Trying to Hold it All TogetherBy Heidi Vegh “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the livestock, all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'” – Genesis 1:26 This world is a harsh place. When we aren't leaning on Jesus’, our to-do lists can be overwhelming, especially when we feel we must do it all. Perhaps you have a lot on your plate. You are responsible for a lot, and you fear that if you let go, everything will crumble and fall apart. When God created us, He made us for Himself. He created us to live in harmony with Him and rely on Him entirely for our needs. We are created in His image, and He cares for us. He has jobs for us to do. But He wants us to do them beside Him, for His glory, not for selfish gain. When we only think of ourselves and what we will personally gain from striving to be in control, we will stumble.  When sin entered the world, so did pride and self-sufficiency. We are told to grin and bear it, to lock in and hold on, gritting our teeth as we strive to manifest, control, and keep all things in place. At some point, we will break. All of us. We are not created to endure, control, and hold everything together, and when we strive to do these things, we will eventually break under pressure.  In Isaiah 40: 29-31, we read, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and exhausted, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” When you feel like your own strength is failing, call out to Jesus. When you feel like the world and all its expectations are crushing you, call out to Jesus. When you feel like you can’t go on, call out to Jesus. Let’s pray: God. It's too much. I am crushing under the weight of all the expectations. I am crumbling under the weight of what others expect of me, and I am suffocating under the expectations that I have put on myself. I can’t do it alone. I am trying to hold it all together, but my weak grip is weakening. I need you to hold me up, Jesus. I am calling out to you in my time of need. I can’t do this anymore. I want to rely on you solely for my strength to avoid getting to the end of myself. However, I understand that sometimes it is the getting to the end of myself that draws me to you. I thank you for pursuing me, Lord. Thank you for loving me enough not to let me continue walking a road of self-sufficiency that leaves me dry and maxed out. Lord, please renew me today. Show me what to let go of. Show me where I being prideful in my actions, and forgive me for not relying on you. Thank you for your patience while waiting for me to rely on you. Thank you for loving me enough to extend your hands to help pull me from the pit. Thank you for your peace, your joy, your strength. I trust that when I let go, you will catch me. When I let go of all the things I have the illusion of controlling, you will still have your hand in every detail. I don’t have the strength to do it all; I know that is not how you created me. Help me to let go.In your precious name, we pray, amen. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/PeopleImages Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Western Washington. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She longs to use her writing as a way to encourage others who have experienced loss and guide them on the road to healing. She contributes to her blog found at www.mrsheidivegh.com , sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women's Ministry Director at her local church and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, read, craft, and experiment in the kitchen. Visit her Facebook and Instagram (@mrsheidivegh) to learn more. 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 to Let Go When You’re Trying to Hold it All Together – Your Daily Prayer – August 15 appeared first on GodUpdates.

August 15, 2024 When Unchangeable Feels UnforgivableLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) Forgiveness is such a double-edged word. It's amazing to be forgiven but can feel so very complicated to forgive. Forgiveness can feel very unreasonable when people hurt us deeply, won't acknowledge their wrongs and refuse to apologize. I'll never forget walking into my counselor's office so consumed with pain that I could barely breathe. I hadn't washed my hair in days. I couldn't think straight. I was afraid if I started crying, I might never stop. Betrayal hadn't just broken my heart; it had shattered my family. I wasn't just hurting because of the unexpected rejection - I was grieving that my life would never look like what I pictured it to be. Grieving is dreaming in reverse. Instead of looking forward to the days to come and imagining how amazing the future will be, you desperately wish you could go back to the way life once was but fear it will never be that way again. This kind of deep grief causes many questions to surface: Does God not see what they did? Do I have to forgive them? How can I forgive them when they aren't sorry for what they did? How can I trust that the Lord will provide justice? How am I supposed to live out truths like Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you"? I've asked all of these questions and wrestled through them myself. I was desperate to have my pain acknowledged and for someone in the world to recognize that what happened was wrong. Otherwise, I felt like my forgiveness might give the impression that what happened to me wasn't that big of a deal and that my feelings didn't matter. It did matter. It was wrong. But attaching my ability to heal and move forward to the choices my offender may never be willing to make will just compound my suffering. Here are a few truths I've been learning to hang on to in my heart when I’m struggling to forgive: Forgiveness is more satisfying than revenge. You may think revenge will make you feel better in the short term, but in the long term, it will always cost you more emotionally and spiritually than you'd ever want to pay. Forgiveness doesn't let the other person off the hook. It places them in God's hands (see Romans 12:19-21). Our God is not a do-nothing God. Just like we see in Joseph's story in the Bible, there is never a single moment when God is doing nothing in our lives. Joseph’s story ends, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20, NIV). This brings such hope to a girl like me whose heart longs for justice. The purpose of forgiveness is not always reconciliation. Forgiveness doesn't mean trust is immediately restored or hard relational dynamics are instantly fixed. The point of forgiveness is to keep your heart swept clean, cooperating with God's command to forgive and keeping yourself in a position to receive God's forgiveness. Oh, friend, your heartbreak is so real. And your desire to undo what has been done is so very understandable. Forgiveness requires deep dependence on the Lord, and trusting God is a hard step to take, especially when you're hurt. But I'm also convinced it's the only step that leads to anything good. So if His Word instructs us to forgive, I believe we can trust His leading in that. Today, let's take a step toward forgiveness ... together. Lord, help me not just make peace with unchangeable things but truly move forward. I know You are not a do-nothing God, and I trust You with all the heartbreak I'll face on this side of eternity. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS It's so confusing when some people who do such wrong things seem to get away with what they did. Amid this hurt, do you ever find yourself secretly wondering ... Whose team is God really on here? Lysa TerKeurst understands. Identify hidden doubts you have about the Lord and make progress in trusting Him as you embrace biblical truths that will never change - all in Lysa's new, free resource, When the Person Who Hurt You Got Away With It: 3 Days to Moving Forward. Download now! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (NIV). Maybe you haven't cried out to the Lord in a while about the hurt you're carrying in your heart. What if you spent some time praying or even journaling about the pain you've experienced? Friend, receive His tender love and care for you today. We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post When Unchangeable Feels Unforgivable –  Encouragement for Today – August 15, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

636 - Beginning of the five-day decisive Battle at Yarmuk: Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army to take control of Syria for the first time 1519 - Panama City founded by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila 1865 - Battle of Lone Jack, Missouri: fierce fighting between Union soldiers and Confederate forces prompted by bushwacker attacks destroys town of Lone Jack 1876 - US law removes Indians from Black Hills after gold find 1934 - US ends occupation of Haiti after 19 years; started after the 1915 assassination of Haiti's president 1936 - Annibale Frossi scores twice as Italy beats Austria 2-1 in extra time in the soccer final at the Berlin Olympics 1948 - US Open Women's Golf, Atlantic City CC: Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins by 8 strokes from Betty Hicks 1974 - Hurricane and floods ravage Bangladesh, 4,000 killed 1990 - Mark McGwire is 1st to hit 30 HRs in each of his 1st 4 seasons 2008 - Despite China winning the women's gymnastics team all-round gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, Americans Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson go 1-2 in the individual all-round More Historical Events »