Economist Roland Fryer was caught in a frenzy after publishing a paper that found no racial bias in police shootings‚ recalling that he had colleagues warning him that his study could be career-ending. The Harvard professor shared his experience with Bari Weiss‚ a journalist for The Free Press‚ when he...

No matter where you live‚ a strong dad who can protect his children is irreplaceable. A nightmare scenario exemplifying this truth recently played out at a CVS in Miami Beach‚ Florida. Security footage shared by WFOR-TV shows a 4-year-old boy leaving the store with his parents when a stranger walking...

Major film flops have Warner Bros. seeing the color red. The company's shares sank after a quarterly earnings report Friday came in lower than projections‚ according to the New York Post. With two recent releases proving box office film disappointments‚ maybe the company -- and Hollywood overall -- ought to...

Hundreds of names have been removed from the voter rolls in two Arizona counties and some of these illegal voters had actually cast ballots in past elections. In the latest purge of illegal voters‚ both Pima and Maricopa counties in Arizona have eliminated hundreds of names of people who are...

As the size of Donald Trump's victory in South Carolina Saturday night became apparent‚ even CNN couldn't avoid the truth anymore. It came‚ of all places‚ on a show hosted by Anderson Cooper. It came‚ of all people‚ from "The View's" token Republican Alyssa Farah. And it summed up the...

In the circus of comedy‚ where the tightrope between genius and garbage is as precarious as a politician's promise‚ and the line between hilarious and heinous is as thin as the president's hairline‚ Shane Gillis parades as living proof of a cynical maxim: No comedian is too outrageous -- especially...

Don't Let the Pressure Win "I have told you these things‚ so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." – John 16:33 The famous 19th century missionary to China‚ Hudson Taylor‚ once shared some powerful words that apply well to the situation we're facing in our world today... "It doesn't matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies‚ whether it comes between me and God or whether it presses me nearer His heart." A few minutes watching the news is enough to tell you that this world is a pressure cooker – and it seems about to burst. But the question to ask yourself today is this: How are you responding to the pressure. Is it pushing you from God or nearer to His heart? Nothing in all of history has ever caught God off guard. From the dawn of creation to the fall of Rome and everything since‚ God has been and will forever be king over all. So while the whole world is losing their heads in a panic‚ you can keep yours – knowing that Christ has overcome. And in His name‚ you can be a lighthouse of hope for a dark and stormy world! Prayer Challenge: Pray that God will draw you nearer to His heart and fill you with confidence in these difficult days. Questions for Thought: With all the fear and anxiety in our culture today‚ how can you be a voice of strength and hope? How could you shine the light of the Gospel in a dark world? Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post Don’t Let the Pressure Win – Senior Living – February 26 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Live Free from DiscouragementBy Kristine Brown "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord‚ who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2 ESV) Have you ever felt so discouraged that you didn't think God was listening? Maybe you prayed and prayed‚ but God seemed to grow more distant instead of closer. You longed in desperation to hear from him‚ but the silence only fed the discouragement inside. Discouragement is a tactic the enemy uses to weaken our will‚ and over time‚ we can begin to believe its lies. The longer we allow discouragement to have a place in our thoughts‚ the more vulnerable we become to the enemy's scheme to keep us down. When we lose hope‚ we lose sight of our purpose. We may even question whether God has a purpose for us at all. That's why it is so important for us to recognize discouragement for what it is so we can gain clarity as we pray to live free. God's Word provides the encouragement and truth we need to guard our minds and hearts when we sense discouragement settling in. It will also bring clarity through the muddle caused by discouraging thoughts. When we sense ourselves beginning to question whether God cares about what we're going through‚ we know it's time to counteract the lies with Scripture. Psalm 121:1-2 says‚ "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord‚ who made heaven and earth." In the midst of our worst trials‚ we cry out to God for help. He is the only One powerful enough to rescue us from the turmoil we experience. But sometimes‚ we don't hear the answer we want‚ and in the waiting‚ we may feel like God is ignoring our plea. Feelings of loneliness and isolation soon follow. And even when friends or family try to lift us up‚ their efforts go unnoticed. We may even get so wrapped in discouragement that we refuse to see a way out. Discouragement is a dangerous foe‚ but we have power through God's Word and the Holy Spirit to loosen its hold on us. We can speak truth to our weary hearts‚ seeking Jesus as we trust him to respond. God Almighty loves us and has called us to a great purpose. Today's psalm reminds us God is with us every step of the way. Let's lift our eyes toward him and acknowledge that he is our source of help in times of discouragement. Let's pray: Dear Heavenly Father‚Lately‚ I've felt discouraged. I want to face each day with courage‚ joy‚ and hope‚ but I'm struggling to find them. I feel like you don't hear my prayers‚ even though Scripture tells me you are always with me. I cry out to you for help‚ Lord. Help me live free from discouragement and find hope once again. When I feel buried under the weight of my troubles‚ I start to question whether you care about what I'm facing. I feel alone in my trials‚ but I know that's a lie from the enemy. Forgive me for my doubt. I am never alone because you are here with me‚ and you hear my cries. Scripture tells me of this promise‚ "My help comes from the Lord‚ the maker of heaven and earth." I pray I can let this truth settle into my spirit so there is no more room for discouragement. As I seek you more and wait with expectancy in your presence‚ I believe I will gain clarity through the truth of your Word. You are a faithful God‚ and you have good plans for me. Thank you for showing me this truth through the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for the hope I have in your precious Son‚ Jesus Christ. In his name‚ I pray‚ Amen. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Delmaine Donson For more spiritual growth resources‚ check out the 5-day email study Walking with Rahab by today's devotion writer‚ Kristine Brown. You'll find weekly encouragement to help you "become more than yourself through God's Word" at her website‚ kristinebrown.net. Kristine is the author of the book Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God and its companion workbook. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week‚ she gives you practical‚ real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day‚ click below! 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 Live Free from Discouragement – Your Daily Prayer – February 26 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A North Carolina county has voted to ban the use of fluoride in the county’s water supply. Union County commissioners voted 3-2 on February 19th to stop adding fluoride to the water supply after residents expressed concerns about fluoride’s potential harms. Abigail Prado‚ who leads the Moms for Liberty Union County chapter‚ told commissioners that fluoride in drinking water can impair the intellectual development of a gestating child. Prado cited a 2019 study in JAMA Pediatrics that said‚ “maternal exposure to higher levels of fluoride during pregnancy was associated with lower IQ scores in children aged 3 to 4 years. These findings indicate the possible need to reduce fluoride intake during pregnancy.” “I’m here tonight to present the board with evidence that fluoride is a known neurotoxin in the scientific community and to present a study which has found that fluoride in public drinking water can cause significant IQ damage to gestating children when consumed by pregnant mothers‚” Prado said. “Millions of pregnant women are currently being exposed to levels of fluoride that have the potential to lower their children’s IQ by at least four to six points‚” she added. NC Newsline shared Prado’s presentation: “Union County‚ North Carolina commissioners have voted against continuing the addition of fluoride to part of the county’s water supply‚” Fluoride Action Network wrote. Union County‚ North Carolina commissioners have voted against continuing the addition of #fluoride to part of the county’s water supply. “Let’s embrace freedom of choice and let people who wish to use fluoride do just that‚” said David Williams.https://t.co/CNT0pNM9rw — Fluoride Action Network (@FluorideAction) February 22‚ 2024 From NC Newsline: A 2019 study in JAMA Pediatrics did show that elevated fluoride exposure during pregnancy might harm a child’s intellectual development‚ “indicating the possible need to reduce fluoride intake during pregnancy.” However‚ the researchers also noted the study had several limitations. For example‚ the fluoride intake did not measure actual fluoride concentration in tap water in the participant’s home. And the data regarding fluoride intake data were limited by the mothers’ self-reported recall of beverage consumption per day. When it came time for a vote‚ Union County Commissioner Richard Helms said he had to side with medical professionals in this debate‚ and the lived experience of his own children. “I think the history in the United States of putting fluoride in at a minimum has made our young people’s life healthier and more pleasant. I can tell you that I grew up on a well and my dental problems kind of stopped once I got living on the water that was fluoride‚” Helms said. “I will not be supporting a resolution to remove the fluoride and I’d ask my peers to do the same.” However‚ Commissioner David Williams argued that people should have the right to choose what goes in their drinking water. “There are a number of chemicals that get added to the water‚ but those chemicals are added to treat the water itself to make it safe to drink in some cases‚ to remove or address odor concerns or drinkability‚” Williams said‚ according to NC Newsline. “You know none of those other chemicals are added to the water to treat us. Fluoride is the one exception. Fluoride is added to the water to treat us‚ and I think that should give us pause‚” he added. “Commissioners Brian Helms‚ David Williams and Melissa Merrell voted for the motion‚ while Commission Chair J.R. Rowel and Commissioner Richard Helms voted against it‚” WFAE reports. Union County commissioners voted 3-2 Monday night to ban the use of fluoride in the county's water system https://t.co/yRcyXWmoDa — WFAE (@WFAE) February 20‚ 2024 Per WFAE: The vote Monday came after a group of concerned citizens‚ who call themselves the “Fluoride Fighters‚” said they worried about fluoride’s potential harms such as lowering children’s IQ‚ and said the county was violating their medical freedoms by fluoridating its water. Speaking before the vote‚ Williams said he agreed people should have the right to choose what goes in their water. “Let’s stop putting something in the water that’s meant to treat us‚ and give people the freedom to choose. What an extraordinary idea‚ you know?” he said. Brian Helms‚ who also voted for the measure‚ said he didn’t believe the board should overrule the medical wishes of residents. “Should this board ignore consent by putting a substance in the water that is for dental or medicinal benefit? Are we not at least in a sense mandating medication for the public?” he asked. Read the cited study from JAMA Pediatrics.