The study of folklore began in the 1770s with the German romantic nationalist Johann Gottfried Herder. The term itself was coined in the 1840s by William Thoms inspired by the German word Volklehre (“peoples customs”). Folklore refers to the stories, tales, music, dance, art forms, and traditions of a distinct community or group. It includes folk songs, myths, and legends but also architecture and fashion, values attitudes, and assumptions. Folklore connects people to their past, yet it doesn’t have to be ‘old.’ Today, folklore is continuously recreated in the rituals of everyday life, in the home, at work, and increasingly, on the internet.   The Role of Folklore The mythological Swedish Näcken serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of deep water, Source: Visitsweden.com   The term “folklore” conjures vivid and fantastical imagery: Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor; the Mexican Day of the Dead, a time when the souls of the dead are believed to reunite with the living on earth. In Sweden, naked, violin-playing Näcken are said to lure people to their doom in lakes and rivers.    Folktales, whether written down or passed down orally, explain the world and impart moral lessons. In the above examples, they highlight the importance of social justice, the value of family and memory, and the dangers of deep water respectively.    Folklore comprises legends, ballads, popular beliefs, and customs that together form the traditions of a culture. Folktales celebrate heroic virtues, portray the struggle between good and evil, and invoke the power of magic. Above all, folklore provides an escape from societal pressures, validates cultural identity, enforces social norms, and reinforces communal values (Bascom, 1954).    Folk Vs. High Culture Portrait of the father of folklore studies, Johann Gottfried Herder, 1785, Source: Wikimedia Commons   The formal study of folklore began in Europe in the 1770s with Johann Gottfried Herder, who, during a period of rising nationalism, became interested in the idea that the ‘true’ culture of a nation resided in the lower strata of society.    Herder contrasted the “learned culture” of elites (Kultur der Geleherten) with the “culture of the people” (Kultur des Volkes). Folklore, for Herder, included oral traditions, music, dance, tales, myths, and legends – traditional clothing, building styles, art, and artifacts. He believed that folklore, with its stories, songs, customs, and myths, represented a world distinct from the centers of wealth, industry, and progress that characterized metropolitan life.    While the simplistic divide between the rural and the urban initially postulated by Herder has largely collapsed, folklore continues to be studied as the traditional, non-institutional aspects of culture that connect the present with the cultural heritage of the traditional past.    Folklore in the Modern World Ceremony at the Bois Caïman-1791, by Dieudonne Cedor, 1948. Source: Haitian Art Society   Folklore is sometimes mistakenly viewed as a relic of the past existing between traditional and modern worlds. In this light, the culture of the folk is talked about in terms of the survival of hidden, forgotten cultures. It might be visualized as the ritual magic of Haitian Voodoo, the culture, or the early blues and folksong of the Southern United States. Either way, the traditional stories, customs, and culture of folklore have classically been understood as something separate from everyday modern life.   Today, folklore is not understood as confined to the past, but continually created and transmitted in the present. For instance, the American Folklife Centre at the Library of Congress, known for its vast collection of traditional folksongs, now archives video games, websites, and internet memes. In this regard, folklore does not have to be ‘old’ – as new groups emerge, surfers, motorcycle gangs, and computer programmers, new folklore is created (Dundes, 1980).    Contemporary Folklore Photograph of a UFO sighting from a report in Riverside, California, 1951. Source: National Archives, Records of Headquarters US Air Force   In the digital age, as in every era, folklore continues to evolve and adapt to new societal complexities. Amidst the ongoing crisis of climate change, cryptozoologists search for mythical beasts such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.    Meanwhile, “fake news” travels faster than factual information, as “alternative facts,” disinformation, and rumor attempt to explain the world around us. Popular tales of alien abductions and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), demonstrate the enduring power of folklore in contemporary times, while fantasy worlds such as Game of Thrones and The Legend of Zelda, offer escape from the pressures of life.   Events like Comic-Con see people of all ages engaging in cosplay, where they transform into their favorite characters from films, television, and video games, to blur the lines between fiction and reality. In the negative, digital folklore such as Momo and The Slenderman captures the primal fears and social anxieties that define modern life.

  Organizing historical events into distinct periods is a significant part of studying history. But this is often the focus of debates and controversies between professional historians and the public. As historians Tim Blanning and Richard J. Evans point out, every history must start at some arbitrary date, and some dates are more arbitrary than others. Thus, chronology can be a tricky guide to use when exploring historical events.   Romania’s emergence as an independent state offers a great example of how the question of a country’s origins can be so open-ended. This article explores different moments that could all lay claim to answering how Romania became a country.   The Danubian Principalities: Moldavia & Wallachia Portrait of Vlad III or the Impaler. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Present-day Romania largely corresponds to three historical regions of Southeastern Europe: Moldavia, Wallachia, and Transylvania. Thus, to understand how Romania became a country, it is important to learn about each region. Moldavia and Wallachia were under Ottoman rule between the 15th and 19th centuries. Collectively, the two were known as the Danubian Principalities.   Moldavia refers to a region that today is in Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. It became an independent principality in the 14th century.   Wallachia constitutes much of the southern portion of present-day Romania. Like Moldavia, Wallachia became a principality in the early 14th century following a period of Hungarian rule.   However, Vlad III (1431-1476), known as Vlad the Impaler or Dracula, would likely be Wallachia’s most famous prince. Vlad was a living legend in his time for his brutal treatment of enemies. Moreover, historians Raymond McNally and Radu Florescu discovered that spooky stories about Vlad’s exploits circulated during his lifetime. For example, a poem read to Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III in 1463 stated that Vlad dipped his bread in the blood of his victims.   Transylvania Woodcut of Michael the Brave. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The region of Transylvania has a rich history well beyond the familiar Dracula legend. While Moldavia and Wallachia came under Ottoman control, the Habsburgs ruled Transylvania. In fact, the only time before 1918 that all three regions were united was in 1600. A prince known as Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul) united the three areas for a few months. According to Robert Kaplan, Michael could be the best example of Machiavelli’s ideal Renaissance prince.   During the centuries of Habsburg rule, Transylvania was controlled by a Hungarian administration. In fact, Transylvania had been in Hungarian hands since the 11th century. But in 1690, this formally passed to the Habsburgs along with the throne of Hungary. Throughout this period, Transylvania became a contested frontier between the Habsburg and Ottoman empires.   Although Transylvania long had a diverse population, Romanians made up a clear majority. However, historian L.S. Stavrianos points out that most Romanians in Transylvania did not oppose Habsburg rule as late as the eve of World War I.   Romanians in the region tended to be more anti-Hungarian than anti-Habsburg. In fact, they had hoped that Archduke Franz Ferdinand would change the empire’s administrative structure to weaken Hungarian control of Transylvania once he assumed the Habsburg throne.   Instead, Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s July 1914 assassination sparked the outbreak of World War I. As we will see below, the war did bring change to Transylvania.   Revolutions of 1821 Tudor Vladimirescu by Theodor Aman, c. 1874-1876. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Between 1711-1714 and 1821, Moldavia and Wallachia were ruled by Ottoman Greek princes. The princes came from a wealthy and influential segment of Ottoman society known as the Phanariotes. Most were unpopular and viewed as corrupt and greedy administrators. For example, historian Vlad Georgescu points out that the Greek word meaning “to govern” came to signify getting rich in Romanian.   However, 1821 brought a strange and definitive end to this story. A Wallachian minor noble and former soldier, Tudor Vladimirescu, led a revolt against his prince. But Vladimirescu’s revolt was also meant to support a brewing Greek revolution. In fact, a Greek rebel army in February 1821 crossed into Moldavia from Russia to launch a revolt against Ottoman rule. So, while Vladimirescu wanted to end Greek rule in Wallachia, he also helped launch Greece’s war for independence against the Ottoman Empire.   Vladimirescu failed on both fronts. For starters, his army did not help Greek rebels, who were crushed by Ottoman troops. Nevertheless, revolutionary activity spread to mainland Greece despite the Greek defeat in the Danubian Principalities. As for Vladimirescu, he soon lost popular support, and his rebellion was defeated by Ottoman forces.   An oligarchy of Romanian nobles now governed the principalities on behalf of the Ottoman Sultan. Romanian nobility, known as boyars, traditionally maintained extensive landholdings that operated on serfdom. But Phanariot rule, the 1821 revolt, and the influence of the French Revolution provoked a change in the boyars.   Russian Protectorate Watercolor depicting the 1848 Revolution in Wallachia attributed to Costache Petrescu . Source: Wikimedia Commons   Indeed, Phanariot rule witnessed a growth in the number of people holding noble titles. There was now a class of urban boyars who stood out from the traditional landowning nobles. Moreover, many urban boyars had been educated in Paris and imported French revolutionary ideas into Wallachia and Moldavia. French revolutionary and Enlightenment thought sparked a movement among many urban boyars of a unified Romanian nation.   By the late 1820s, these boyars had a new dominant force to contend with: the Russian Empire. The 1829 Treaty of Adrianople, which ended yet another Russo-Turkish conflict, established a Russian protectorate over the Danubian Principalities.   Tsar Nicholas I sent Count Pavel Kiselyov (or Kiseleff) to be the Russian administrator in the principalities. Lucian Boia claims that Kiselyov became the only popular Russian figure in Romania’s history. In fact, one of Bucharest’s main avenues is named in the Russian official’s honor. The Russian governor indeed did much during his brief tenure.   For example, Keith Hitchens points out the principalities received their first constitutions, known as the Statutes, during Kiselyov’s administration. He also helped initiate important economic reforms. But in 1834, Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II appointed two Romanian princes to govern the principalities.   However, the revolutionary fervor that swept across much of Europe in 1848 also came to Romanian lands. This pitted Romanian nationalists against the Russians, who were determined to stamp out revolutions throughout Europe. Russian troops helped crush revolts across Central and Eastern Europe in 1848-49.   Moreover, Russian troops further angered Romanian nationalists when they reoccupied Moldavia and Wallachia in 1853. This action helped spark the Crimean War.   Union Portrait of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War (1854-56) offered Romanian nationalists the chance to realize the dream of creating a unified Danubian Principalities. In fact, the principalities became a significant part of diplomatic negotiations ending the war.   No European power was comfortable with the existence of a country named Romania for fear it would damage imperial interests and upset the balance of power. For example, Austria wanted to avoid seeing a Romanian state created because of the challenges it could present to controlling a large Romanian population in Transylvania.   However, the Romanians had a powerful friend in France’s emperor, Napoleon III. With his dreams to renew French power in Europe, Napoleon saw potential in cultivating a friendship with Romanian nationalists.   Moreover, Romanian nationalists turned the tables on European powers who wanted to maintain separate principalities. The treaty required each principality to elect a prince. However, it did not say that one person could not be elected prince in both principalities!   And so, in early 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected as prince of both Moldavia and Wallachia. While each principality still had a separate capital city, Cuza moved the combined government to Bucharest.   While the treaty specifically forbade the use of the name “Romania,” the two Danubian Principalities were now the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, led by Prince Cuza. In 1862, the state became known as the Romanian United Principalities.   Romania Goes Royal King Carol I of Romania by Johannes Zehngraf, before 1908. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Many Romanians believed Cuza’s reign would not lead to permanent stability and union. They feared internal economic issues and external territorial ambitions threatened this fledgling state’s existence.   Misha Glenny points out that Romanians looked at the nearby examples of Greece and Serbia. Although far from a prosperous state, Greek independence appeared secure thanks to the country’s invitation to a foreign prince to become king. On the other hand, Serbia in the 1860s was not yet fully independent of Ottoman rule. Moreover, Serbia had two native competing dynasties that vied for power. Thus, to many Romanians, inviting a European royal to establish a monarchy was the best solution.   A coup drove Cuza out of power and into exile in 1866. This paved the way for the choice of a future monarch. However, historians are still unsure how exactly Romanians determined their selection process. But they settled on a German prince named Charles (Carol) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. He was a member of a Catholic sub-branch of the Prussian/Imperial German royal family.   Carol came to Romania in 1866 as a prince. He led Romanian troops alongside Russia in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The war brought recognition of Romania’s independence from Ottoman rule. In 1881, Prince Carol became King Carol I.   The Romanian state approved a new constitution inspired by Belgium, which was seen as a successful example of a constitutional monarchy. However, Tom Gallagher points out that Romania’s version included provisions designed to strengthen the authority of powerful institutions like the monarch and landholding elites, which did not appear in the Belgian example.   Moreover, Lucian Boia points out the constitution initially denied rights to non-Christians, which marginalized Romania’s Jewish community. Even after international pressure produced constitutional changes, there remained a lack of protection for minority rights in Romania.   The Rise of Greater Romania Queen Marie (center), King Ferdinand, and Crown Prince Carol (left) in 1922. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Romania expanded its territory thanks to joining the victorious coalition against Bulgaria in the Second Balkan War of 1913. The fertile region south of the Danube Delta called Dobrogea (Dobrudja) was Romania’s great territorial prize. But this only fueled further ambitions to create a Greater Romania. While supporters wanted several areas to be incorporated into Romania, they especially sought control of Transylvania.   The outbreak of World War I in August 1914 provided Romanian nationalists the opportunity to create Greater Romania. The main question for Romania was now to decide which side to support. Born a German prince, King Carol wanted to join Germany and its allies in the Central Powers. However, becoming a German ally would mean giving up on seizing Transylvania, which still belonged to Germany’s partner Austria-Hungary.   On the other hand, while many Romanians felt close to France, they did not look favorably upon its ally Russia. Moreover, Russia controlled Bessarabia, once part of the medieval kingdom of Moldavia. Either way, it seemed Romania would have to sacrifice an area with significant ties to the country by joining a rival alliance.   King Carol’s death in October 1914 brought his nephew Ferdinand to the Romanian throne. Ferdinand’s wife, Queen Marie, was a member of the British royal family and popular in Romania. Marie’s influence by late 1916 helped push Romania into the Entente camp with France, Britain, and Russia. Soon, Romanian troops entered Transylvania.   The Fall of Greater Romania Romania Centennial Logo. Source: RomaniaInsider.com   However, German, Bulgarian, and Austro-Hungarian troops quickly overran and occupied much of Romania. Despite this, the Romanian government did not surrender until 1918. Nevertheless, Romanian troops re-entered the war during its final days in November 1918.   1918 marked the beginning of a brief period prior to WWII when Romania reached its greatest territorial extent. This came about because of territory acquired from defeated powers like the collapsing Austro-Hungarian Empire.   In December 1918, Romanians celebrated this so-called Great Union. Many Romanians point to 1918 as the true birth of the modern country. In fact, that was the precise message of many events during the centennial commemorated in 2018.   Romania’s war, however, continued into 1919-1920. The new Hungarian state refused to recognize the loss of territory like Transylvania to Romania. As a result, Romanian troops pushed deep into Hungary, even briefly occupying Budapest in August 1919. Romania’s invasion led to the collapse of the short-lived Hungarian Soviet Republic led by Béla Kun.   Romania’s fateful entry into World War II as an ally of Nazi Germany as well as the Soviet conquest in 1944 destroyed Greater Romania. For example, between German and Soviet pressure, Romania lost portions of Transylvania, Dobrogea, and several other regions. After the war, the Soviets helped install a brutal communist dictatorship which lasted until 1989. Alongside neighboring Bulgaria, Romania entered the European Union in 2007.

October 1, 2024 What We Must Remember in the Midst of Our SufferingLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV) I've been sitting with a sentence I wrote in my journal recently: Trusting God is holding loosely the parts of my life I want to hold most tightly.  It is true that God can be trusted. And God sometimes allows things to happen that bring deep sorrow. Can I really trust Him even while soaking my pillow with tears? Sorrow makes us hurt. Sorrow makes us grieve. Sorrow makes us feel out of control. Sorrow makes us feel anxious. Sorrow can sometimes feel like pouring gasoline on our doubts. Many of us have heard 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (NIV). Yet we still find that hard to do when our pulse is racing, our heart is sinking, and our face is wet with tears. We might be surprised that if we keep reading 1 Peter 5, we see verse 7 is referring to anxiety associated with suffering - and before the command to cast our anxiety on God is the instruction to humble ourselves: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:6-10, NIV). My friend Meredith often reminds me of a challenging truth she received from the Lord: He can't lift an unbowed head. Whoa, what a powerful visual. When we keep looking at outcomes we think are best and we become fixated on the idea that our vision for our future is the only good one, our necks become stiff from all that straining. But if we bow our heads in humility, we are in the right position for God to lift us up and point us in the direction He knows is best. I guess this is part of what I've been missing. Bowing instead of running.Bowing instead of fixing.Bowing instead of trying to make sense of stuff that may never make sense in my limited human mind.Bowing instead of resisting Him.Bowing instead of distrusting Him.Bowing when things seem to be turning around.Bowing when things fall apart again.And bowing when the suffering makes me wonder about the goodness of God. I've read these verses in 1 Peter many times, but I never tied this to my suffering. I never realized suffering can actually be a sign that God is leading us in the exact right direction: toward redemption. Suffering isn't a pitfall preventing our redemption. Suffering isn't proof that we should doubt God's goodness. Suffering doesn't mean that trusting God is too risky. Suffering is our reminder to stay closer to God than ever before and not to resist His leading. God's way is the right way no matter how confusing it gets along the way. And God's time is the right time no matter how untimely it seems to us. Father God, I confess I often attach my willingness to trust You to how my life is going at the moment. When things are going my way, it's easy to believe You are trustworthy. But when things fall apart, my trust in You wavers as I struggle to understand what You are doing. Today I choose to trust You with what I cannot see, do not know, do not want and am afraid of. I surrender to You the outcomes and plans I have for the way my life should go. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS What our minds can't understand, our hearts tend to distrust. Stop having more faith in your fears coming true than God coming through for you - start asking crucial what-if questions to better process your doubts with Lysa TerKeurst's new book, I Want to Trust You, but I Don't: Moving Forward When You're Skeptical of Others, Afraid of What God Will Allow, and Doubtful of Your Own Discernment. When you preorder now, you'll get access to special preorder gifts that won't be available after the book releases! Preorder here! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 27:13-14, "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (NIV). What are you waiting on right now? How do these words encourage you in the midst of suffering? 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 What We Must Remember in the Midst of Our Suffering –  Encouragement for Today – October 1, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Begin Your Day with Purpose and Joy By Heidi Vegh  Bible Reading"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." – Romans 5:13 Listen or Read Below: How we begin our days is so important. I find for myself that if I begin my day scrolling needlessly on my phone before even getting out of bed, I start my day feeling guilty and unproductive. Our phones, although can be used for God's purposes, have a way of sucking life out of us before our feet even hit the ground. The things we do at the beginning of our days can have an impact on how the rest of our days go. If we wake up groggy, stare at a screen, and then immediately jump into the day’s tasks without spending time in silence with the Lord, it can set our minds and hearts in a direction we may not want. Understandably, not everyone can sit in stillness before the day begins, many things can vie for our attention before we even open our eyes. Babies, small children or pets can easily catapult us into the day’s activities well before we are ready. So what can we do if that stillness is unavailable to us on some days? We can pray. We can pray as we sit up, swing our feet over the bed, and pray while we walk to the bathroom or grab our baby from the crib. We can ignore the pings and immediately begin thanking God for the new, fresh day ahead of us. We can thank God for the breath in our lungs and the lungs of our family because those breaths indicate  purpose for all of us. If there is breath in our lungs we are here for a reason. We can play worship music as we make breakfast or get ready. Ask God to give you simple things you can add to your morning routine that incorporate Him into the tasks calling your name in those early hours of the day.  Remember that even if your day begins with chaos and phone time, we can always turn it around. His mercies are new every morning (and every afternoon and evening) (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Lord has a purpose for each of our days, and He wants us to be filled with His joy. This can seem impossible when we wake up and immediately remember all the hard things that we are facing. Grief, loss, financial difficulty, parenting stress, job stress, you name it.  How can we combat worry and hardship immediately? We go to the Lord. When our early morning minds flood with all the things....we surrender. Right then. Right there. It doesn't mean that the problems will disappear but it means that we start our days with our hearts in the right place. We start our day with peace in our hearts knowing God is in control of all of it.  Let's Pray: Lord, thank you for this beautiful, fresh new day. Thank you for the shining sun, the chirping birds, and the fresh air in my lungs. Thank you despite the worry that woke me up or the gut punch of loss that came to mind. Thank you for all the plans and purposes that you have for me. Give me vision and wisdom as I make decisions. Even when I wake up to chaos, give me nudges of your sweet direction as I amble through the morning. Teach me to trust you with everything that is on my to-do list today. Gently lead me to the next thing to do and help me to listen to your voice. I long to live with purpose and joy in my heart. I know that true joy and purpose can only come from you. Show me where I am leaning on the world for peace and joy. Show me what I am focusing on in the morning hours that negatively affect my days. I want to live in full trust of whatever you have for me. Please fill me with the fullness of joy that you promise in your Word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit as I go about my day, reminding me that I am loved and created for a purpose, even when the tasks in front of me seem mundane. Help me to remember to work for the Lord in all that I do. (Colossians 3:23)In your precious name, I pray, amen. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/artplus 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! The post A Prayer to Begin Your Day with Purpose and Joy – Your Daily Prayer – October 1 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Begin Your Day with Purpose and Joy By Heidi Vegh  Bible Reading"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." – Romans 5:13 Listen or Read Below: How we begin our days is so important. I find for myself that if I begin my day scrolling needlessly on my phone before even getting out of bed, I start my day feeling guilty and unproductive. Our phones, although can be used for God's purposes, have a way of sucking life out of us before our feet even hit the ground. The things we do at the beginning of our days can have an impact on how the rest of our days go. If we wake up groggy, stare at a screen, and then immediately jump into the day’s tasks without spending time in silence with the Lord, it can set our minds and hearts in a direction we may not want. Understandably, not everyone can sit in stillness before the day begins, many things can vie for our attention before we even open our eyes. Babies, small children or pets can easily catapult us into the day’s activities well before we are ready. So what can we do if that stillness is unavailable to us on some days? We can pray. We can pray as we sit up, swing our feet over the bed, and pray while we walk to the bathroom or grab our baby from the crib. We can ignore the pings and immediately begin thanking God for the new, fresh day ahead of us. We can thank God for the breath in our lungs and the lungs of our family because those breaths indicate  purpose for all of us. If there is breath in our lungs we are here for a reason. We can play worship music as we make breakfast or get ready. Ask God to give you simple things you can add to your morning routine that incorporate Him into the tasks calling your name in those early hours of the day.  Remember that even if your day begins with chaos and phone time, we can always turn it around. His mercies are new every morning (and every afternoon and evening) (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Lord has a purpose for each of our days, and He wants us to be filled with His joy. This can seem impossible when we wake up and immediately remember all the hard things that we are facing. Grief, loss, financial difficulty, parenting stress, job stress, you name it.  How can we combat worry and hardship immediately? We go to the Lord. When our early morning minds flood with all the things....we surrender. Right then. Right there. It doesn't mean that the problems will disappear but it means that we start our days with our hearts in the right place. We start our day with peace in our hearts knowing God is in control of all of it.  Let's Pray: Lord, thank you for this beautiful, fresh new day. Thank you for the shining sun, the chirping birds, and the fresh air in my lungs. Thank you despite the worry that woke me up or the gut punch of loss that came to mind. Thank you for all the plans and purposes that you have for me. Give me vision and wisdom as I make decisions. Even when I wake up to chaos, give me nudges of your sweet direction as I amble through the morning. Teach me to trust you with everything that is on my to-do list today. Gently lead me to the next thing to do and help me to listen to your voice. I long to live with purpose and joy in my heart. I know that true joy and purpose can only come from you. Show me where I am leaning on the world for peace and joy. Show me what I am focusing on in the morning hours that negatively affect my days. I want to live in full trust of whatever you have for me. Please fill me with the fullness of joy that you promise in your Word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit as I go about my day, reminding me that I am loved and created for a purpose, even when the tasks in front of me seem mundane. Help me to remember to work for the Lord in all that I do. (Colossians 3:23)In your precious name, I pray, amen. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/artplus 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! The post A Prayer to Begin Your Day with Purpose and Joy – Your Daily Prayer – October 1 appeared first on GodUpdates.

October 1, 2024 What We Must Remember in the Midst of Our SufferingLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV) I've been sitting with a sentence I wrote in my journal recently: Trusting God is holding loosely the parts of my life I want to hold most tightly.  It is true that God can be trusted. And God sometimes allows things to happen that bring deep sorrow. Can I really trust Him even while soaking my pillow with tears? Sorrow makes us hurt. Sorrow makes us grieve. Sorrow makes us feel out of control. Sorrow makes us feel anxious. Sorrow can sometimes feel like pouring gasoline on our doubts. Many of us have heard 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (NIV). Yet we still find that hard to do when our pulse is racing, our heart is sinking, and our face is wet with tears. We might be surprised that if we keep reading 1 Peter 5, we see verse 7 is referring to anxiety associated with suffering - and before the command to cast our anxiety on God is the instruction to humble ourselves: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:6-10, NIV). My friend Meredith often reminds me of a challenging truth she received from the Lord: He can't lift an unbowed head. Whoa, what a powerful visual. When we keep looking at outcomes we think are best and we become fixated on the idea that our vision for our future is the only good one, our necks become stiff from all that straining. But if we bow our heads in humility, we are in the right position for God to lift us up and point us in the direction He knows is best. I guess this is part of what I've been missing. Bowing instead of running.Bowing instead of fixing.Bowing instead of trying to make sense of stuff that may never make sense in my limited human mind.Bowing instead of resisting Him.Bowing instead of distrusting Him.Bowing when things seem to be turning around.Bowing when things fall apart again.And bowing when the suffering makes me wonder about the goodness of God. I've read these verses in 1 Peter many times, but I never tied this to my suffering. I never realized suffering can actually be a sign that God is leading us in the exact right direction: toward redemption. Suffering isn't a pitfall preventing our redemption. Suffering isn't proof that we should doubt God's goodness. Suffering doesn't mean that trusting God is too risky. Suffering is our reminder to stay closer to God than ever before and not to resist His leading. God's way is the right way no matter how confusing it gets along the way. And God's time is the right time no matter how untimely it seems to us. Father God, I confess I often attach my willingness to trust You to how my life is going at the moment. When things are going my way, it's easy to believe You are trustworthy. But when things fall apart, my trust in You wavers as I struggle to understand what You are doing. Today I choose to trust You with what I cannot see, do not know, do not want and am afraid of. I surrender to You the outcomes and plans I have for the way my life should go. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS What our minds can't understand, our hearts tend to distrust. Stop having more faith in your fears coming true than God coming through for you - start asking crucial what-if questions to better process your doubts with Lysa TerKeurst's new book, I Want to Trust You, but I Don't: Moving Forward When You're Skeptical of Others, Afraid of What God Will Allow, and Doubtful of Your Own Discernment. When you preorder now, you'll get access to special preorder gifts that won't be available after the book releases! Preorder here! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 27:13-14, "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (NIV). What are you waiting on right now? How do these words encourage you in the midst of suffering? 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 What We Must Remember in the Midst of Our Suffering –  Encouragement for Today – October 1, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) said he is suspending all of his campaign fundraising activities while Tennessee residents recover from Hurricane Helene. “We are suspending our fundraising and urging everyone to send any available funds to flood relief for these folks hit by this horrible devastation,” Burchett said. WATCH: We are suspending our fundraising and urging everyone to send any available funds to flood relief for these folks hit by this horrible devastation. pic.twitter.com/ckIZVOxrdi — Tim Burchett (@timburchett) September 30, 2024 “Like everyone across the country, I’ve watched in horror as Hurricane Helene devastated our neighbors in Upper East Tennessee,” Burchett wrote in a campaign email. “As of today, Sept. 30, 2024, I’m suspending all campaign fundraising efforts for two weeks and encouraging all my supporters to donate to or volunteer with disaster relief efforts in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. I’m donating $2,500 to the East Tennessee Foundation’s Neighbor to Neighbor Disaster Relief Fund and $2,500 to Samaritan’s Purse. I hope you’ll join me in supporting worthy charities providing boots-on-the-ground support to our neighbors in these hard-hit communities,” he continued. “Folks, this is a pivotal time in any campaign, but right now, it’s not about politics – it’s about people. Every dollar helps, but if you can’t financially support the relief effort, I ask that you join Kelly, Isabel, and me as we pray for those impacted by this devastating storm,” he added. X users reacted to Burchett’s message: Suspending his fundraising for his campaign to increase financial efforts for those who’ve tragically lost everything. God bless and be with those in this time of need. https://t.co/t3oCavXCpH — Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyan762) September 30, 2024 This is a true American. https://t.co/mLE6xXRg1x — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 30, 2024 This is Leadership @timburchett suspends raising Campaign funding to ask supporters to send $ tohttps://t.co/GiJ5qx79UC as people are totally devastated. if your able. https://t.co/MuFnEXKJtQ — PRAYER X10 (@prayer_x10) September 30, 2024 Republican or democrat. This is American. Suspend ur campaign funds and go help those in Need. https://t.co/JSX5CMngFu — Katie (@K84IAST8) September 30, 2024 This is what Honor looks like! https://t.co/LjNbGa7Eh9 — George Santos (@MrSantosNY) September 30, 2024 News Channel 5 Nashville reports: Three people are dead and 100 are missing in East Tennessee after catastrophic flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. The number of missing and dead are expected to rise, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. “I will caveat that TEMA uses a deliberate process that we are accounting for people harmed and adequate time can be made to loved ones before it’s broadcasted,” TEMA director Patrick Sheehan said. “If you’re hearing about more fatalities and there’s a discrepancy to the numbers, we apply a high level of scrutiny. I know we will have other fatalities with this disaster. That makes this for me a tragedy. Our prayers go to the families and to the lost.” President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration for several counties in East Tennessee, where road and water infrastructure washed away. Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 have gaping holes missing while 13 water utility districts aren’t able to provide water for their customers. Gov. Bill Lee asked for federal help on Friday afternoon after more than 50 people were stuck on a hospital roof in Unicoi County. Sheehan said Tennessee didn’t ask for help before the storm because it wasn’t forecasted to hit Tennessee as hard as it did. Those receiving disaster relief help are in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Johnson, and Unicoi counties.

According to POLITICO national political correspondent Meridith McGraw, President Trump launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Hurricane Helene victims. The Trump campaign launched a @gofundme for Hurricane Helene victims: https://t.co/buc66FhVt2 — Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) September 30, 2024 Per GoFundMe: President Donald J. Trump has launched this GoFundMe campaign as an official response for MAGA supporters to offer their financial assistance to their fellow Americans impacted by Hurricane Helene. With so many across the Southeastern U.S. facing challenges after the storm, President Trump is on the ground in communities to see the aftermath firsthand. All donations will be directed to help those most affected by Hurricane Helene. Any level of generosity will go a long way for your fellow Americans who are suffering. Meredith O’Rourke, National Finance Director and Senior Advisor for the Trump campaign, organized the fundraiser. At the time of writing, the fundraiser has raised $1.5 million. The top donation is $500,000 from former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler. UFC CEO Dana White, attorney Dan Newlin, and Bass Pro Shops all donated $100,000. Kid Rock donated $20,000. WOW. Trump is bringing the whole country together to support the hurting people in the South. Kelly Loeffler donated $500k, Dana White just donated $100k, Kid Rock donated $20k and Bass Pro Shops donated $100k (BASED PRO SHOPS) pic.twitter.com/dUIKD1Kxbj — George (@BehizyTweets) September 30, 2024 “President Donald J. Trump has launched a GoFundMe for MAGA supporters to offer their financial assistance to their fellow Americans impacted by Hurricane Helene,” Trump 2024 National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. President Donald J. Trump has launched a GoFundMe for MAGA supporters to offer their financial assistance to their fellow Americans impacted by Hurricane Helene. Nearly $1 MILLION raised already! LINK TO DONATE https://t.co/4voJAQKG0m — Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) September 30, 2024 Fox News reports: Trump paid a visit to Valdosta, Georgia on Monday where he criticized the federal response to the disaster. “Our hearts are with you and we are going to be with you as long as you need it,” he said, flanked by a group of elected officials and Republican supporters. President Biden criticized his predecessor for “lying” about federal contacts with Georgia officials during the response. “I don’t know why he does this,” Biden said. “I don’t care about what he says about me, but I care what he what he communicates to people that are in need. He implies that we’re not doing everything possible. We are. We are.” On Monday, Biden said he would visit Asheville, North Carolina, to survey the damage from Helene. The death toll from Helene has surpassed 100 people, as of Monday evening. Biden told reporters on Monday there were no additional resources the federal government could give Hurricane Helene victims. [WATCH] Joe Biden Asked If There Are Any More Resources The Federal Government Could Give Hurricane Helene Victims Review the GoFundMe page HERE.

Jimmy Carter turned 100 years old on Tuesday, making him the first former U.S. president to become a centenarian. Just in: Former President Jimmy Carter has officially reached his 100th birthday. This makes him the first former U.S. President to become a centenarian. pic.twitter.com/UbE8MMDC3x — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) October 1, 2024 From the Associated Press: A benefit concert and the construction of 30 new homes are among the many events marking President Jimmy Carter ‘s 100th birthday on Oct. 1. Considering the former president’s long legacy as a philanthropist, it’s no surprise that he wants any gift-giving to go to other people. The star-studded concert at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre earlier in September has raised $1.2 million so far to support the international programs of The Carter Center, which Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter founded in 1982 with the mission to “ wage peace, fight disease, and build hope.” The concert airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting on Oct. 1. Meanwhile, thousands of Habitat for Humanity volunteers gathered Monday to build 30 homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, over five days, led by country music giants Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who worked alongside the Carters for years, beginning with projects in Hurricane Katrina’s disaster area. Jimmy Carter celebrates his 100th birthday today, making him the first former U.S. president to become a centenarian pic.twitter.com/YduAl9p3Nj — BNO News (@BNONews) October 1, 2024 Jimmy Carter has turned 100 years old! Carter, who served at the 39th President of the United States, is the longest-lived former president and the first to reach the milestone in the nation’s history! Happy Birthday, Mr. President! pic.twitter.com/DDWDK6VPVI — History Calendar (@historycalendar) October 1, 2024 Jimmy Carter has officially turned 100. pic.twitter.com/GhRHWjT8uL — Pop Base (@PopBase) October 1, 2024 Per CNN: By December 2015, Carter announced that after treatment, the cancer was gone. A timeline of his life maintained by CNN’s research library has many more notable entries. It’s been nine years since Carter published an autobiography, “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety.” He won a Grammy Award – his second – for the audiobook. He would win a third a few years later. It’s been seven years since he was hospitalized for dehydration in Winnipeg, Canada, where he was outdoors – still working! – for Habitat for Humanity, the organization with which he had a long association. It’s been five years since 2019, when he won that third Grammy, broke his hip and joked that there should be an age limit on the presidency since he couldn’t have done the job at 80. That was also the year he turned 95 and became the longest-living American president, surpassing George H.W. Bush. It’s been nearly two years since Carter entered hospice care and nearly one year since his wife, Rosalynn, died. They were married in 1946. Carter previously said he wanted to “make it” to 100 in order to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Jimmy Carter Reveals Why He Wants To ‘Make It’ To 100 “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,” Carter told his son Chip, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. WATCH:

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