Good Morning!
The comedian Bill Murray once shared a meaningful lesson he learned from a sermon his pastor preached. He called it some of the best advice he’s ever received.
“When you open your eyes in the morning,” the pastor told him, "here’s what you should say: ‘Lord, I’m awake. What do you want me to do?’”
That's a good question for all of us, especially as we look at some of today's headlines:
1. President Trump Talks Life at the U.N.
From FOTF President Jim Daly:
Lost in last week’s impeachment fever was President Trump’s stellar address to the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
It was Mr. Trump’s third time speaking before the world’s international body and the nation’s chief executive didn’t mince words on a wide range of topics from North Korea to Iran and the sovereignty of the United States.
Of particular interest to me were his strong remarks concerning the sanctity of life:
“Americans will never tire of defending innocent life,” he stated. “We are aware that many United Nations projects have attempted to assert a global right to taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, right up until the moment of delivery. Global bureaucrats have absolutely no business attacking the sovereignty of nations that wish to protect innocent life.”
How can an organization like the United Nations, established in the spirit of forging international peace, which is based on the belief that all life is of value, support and champion policies that lead to the murder of innocent people? It’s a complete contradiction.
2. Supreme Court showdown looming on religious liberty, LGBTQ cases
From the Washington Times:
More than a dozen battles over religious liberty, including several clashes with LGBTQ rights, are teed up for the Supreme Court’s 2019 term that opens in October, giving the justices every opportunity to put their mark on the First Amendment.
Religious liberty advocates are eyeing two cases in particular that have already been scheduled and that they say will test the limits of the free exercise of religion.
They warn, though, the docket might become even more consequential after the justices return next month to decide whether to weigh in on battles by Catholic charities, religious private school advocates and Christian wedding vendors clashing with LGBTQ rights.
During the justices’ first week back, they will hear arguments Oct. 8 in a case brought by a Christian funeral home owner who fired a transgender employee.
The second case already granted a hearing by the high court is brought by Christians hoping to maintain their children’s private school education. The battle was brought against Montana after it withdrew religious schools from a school choice grant program.
3.Whistleblower Is Expected to Testify Soon, House Intelligence Chairman Schiff Says
The Wall Street Journal reports:
The whistleblower at the center of the impeachment investigation of President Trump will testify in the House “very soon,” though in a way that will protect his identity, the Democrat leading the probe said Sunday.
The whistleblower, whose identity hasn’t been made public, is a man who works for the Central Intelligence Agency, The Wall Street Journal confirmed last week. The House is waiting for the whistleblower’s attorneys to receive security clearances, said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the House Intelligence Committee chairman.
“We’ll get the unfiltered testimony of that whistleblower,” Mr. Schiff said on ABC. “We are taking all the precautions” to protect his identity, he added.
The chairman said he hasn’t set a timetable for concluding the investigation into Mr. Trump, a Republican up for re-election next year.
Weekend “Impeachment Inquiry” Round-Up
4. Democrats Work the Talk Shows to Build Up Impeachment Favorability
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday: “We must be somber, we must be prayerful and we must pursue the facts further to make a decision as to, Did this violate the Constitution of the United States? Which I believe it did” (ABC News).
The latest poll shows the shift in favor of the “inquiry” continues, now at 55 percent (CBS News).
Hugh Hewitt was on Meet the Press explaining why Adam Schiff has “lost all credibility” (Twitter).
Meanwhile, from Kevin McCarthy: The Democrats' impeachment inquiry would never have moved forward if the Speaker of the House would have simply waited 48 hours to actually READ the transcript (Twitter).
From Byron York: "No one is above the law," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she announced the Democratic effort to impeach President Trump over the Ukraine matter. The phrase has become a Democratic mantra in the new impeachment push. But it could, in the end, serve to highlight the weakness of the Democratic strategy. The reason is, by stressing that Trump is not "above the law," Democrats are basing their case against the president on the argument that he broke the law and must be held accountable. But it's not at all clear that Trump broke any laws in the Ukraine matter. In the face of a vigorous Republican defense, any argument on that question is likely to end inconclusively (Washington Examiner).
A Pres. Trump tweet also caused a stir. He tweeted “....If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.” Pastor Robert Jeffress, @FoxNews” (Twitter).
Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger responded “I have visited nations ravaged by civil war. @realDonaldTrump I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant” (Twitter).
Steve Bannon also made a Civil War comparison (Washington Times).
Some believe Hillary Clinton will use the impeachment to jump into the 2020 race (Hot Air).
5. Internet is overrun with Images of Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong?
The New York Times has the story:
Pictures of child sexual abuse have long been produced and shared to satisfy twisted adult obsessions. But it has never been like this: Technology companies reported a record 45 million online photos and videos of the abuse last year.
More than a decade ago, when the reported number was less than a million, the proliferation of the explicit imagery had already reached a crisis point. Tech companies, law enforcement agencies and legislators in Washington responded, committing to new measures meant to rein in the scourge. Landmark legislation passed in 2008.
Yet the explosion in detected content kept growing — exponentially.
A paper recently published in conjunction with that group, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, described a system at “a breaking point,” with reports of abusive images “exceeding the capabilities of independent clearinghouses and law enforcement to take action.” It suggested that future advancements in machine learning might be the only way to catch up with the criminals.
6. God has given us every reason to have high expectations for marriage
From World Magazine:
We tend to fall for Satan’s bigger and terribly destructive lie. That lie says simply, “This is as good as it ever gets.” In falling for that blunting of God’s good promise, we swallow the seeds that lead first to skepticism, then to distant coldness, then to alienation, then to separation, and too often to divorce itself. For it’s not a very big jump from “What did you expect?” to “What’s the use?” Condemning ourselves—and too often seeing very few good marriages around us to cheer us on—we settle back in resignation, numbed with the discouraging recollection, “So this is what they meant!”
The problem with a lowered “realistic” standard or picture of marriage is that pretty soon people buy into it. The lowered standard becomes what everyone is shooting for, and then they start missing even that.
But that’s not what God had in mind when He designed marriage. Hope rises against all that gloom because as Christians we know that God did intend marriage to send His people into orbit. He specifically meant it to provide a taste of heaven on earth. Marriage, after all, is His own carefully drawn picture of the relationship He wants to have with us.
7. Christians and Jews can celebrate shared virtues on Jewish High Holy Days
From Fox News:
Beginning at sundown Sunday, Jews around the world will begin celebrating the Jewish High Holy Days. These are the most sacred days to the global Jewish community. Over 10 days – beginning with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and ending with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) we will enter into days of focused repentance.
While these Jewish holidays may seem foreign to my Christian friends, I want to invite them to find in these holy days a reason to celebrate three virtues shared by Jews and Christians.
These virtues are as foundational and inseparable to the Christian faith as they are to our own. One needs only to remember that the Christian Old Testament is our Hebrew Bible, and concepts like repentance, prayer, and charity – the key themes highlighted throughout these 10 days – are three values we share, partly because we take them from the same source. When these virtues become practices in our daily lives, we will strengthen our relationship with God and our neighbors.
8. Like many Americans, my divorce destroyed my mental health and nearly drove me to suicide
USA Today has the sober story:
Conventional wisdom promises that divorce alleviates stress for those stuck in unhappy relationships. But it can also turn you into someone you don't recognize and make you want to stop living. Even if you're a strong, capable, accomplished woman like me.
Men commit suicide more often than women, but the rate for women is increasing faster, especially in my demographic, ages 45-64. Depression is a critical risk factor for suicide, but researchers also point to a disturbing link between suicide and divorce, as divorced and separated people have much higher rates of suicide than people in marriages. And the divorce rate for those over 50 is rising sharply. Even children feel the brunt of their parents' divorce, with adult children of divorce 14% more likely to attempt suicide than those from intact families.
9. Seniors Are Drawn to New Housing Arrangements
From The New York Times:
As a graying population confronts the limited options for senior housing, seeking ways to maintain independence without the isolation that can accompany so-called aging in place, various grassroots alternatives are gaining footholds.
Shared housing, cohousing and village organizations appeal to those hoping to avoid the high costs and institutional nature of assisted-living and nursing homes, or at least stave them off for as long as possible.
Though these approaches date back years, “we are seeing a resurgence of people wanting different models of housing,” said Kirby Dunn, executive director of HomeShare Vermont. “Living alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
A primer: Shared housing matches people who have unused space with people who need housing; typically, at least one party is age 60 or older. Sometimes the arrangement involves simply rent and companionship, but sharers can also agree on lower rent in exchange for grocery shopping, dog walking, driving or other services.
10.Incredible: Doctors Make 3D Print of an Ultrasound for an Expecting Mother Who is Blind
Facebook has the tender photos
11. He Was the NBA’s Best Ref – and Then He Went to a Catholic Seminary
From the Wall Street Journal:
Javie officiated his last NBA game in 2011. He soon began studying at his local seminary. He was recently ordained as a deacon by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. And this unexpected turn of events is how he found himself in church one Sunday morning wearing elaborate vestments to deliver a homily. He began with a confession.
“I’m a sports guy,” he said.
Javie comes from a long line of sports guys. The son of an NFL referee, he played and umpired minor-league baseball. When he eventually chose basketball, Javie had a 25-year career in the NBA and consistently ranked as one of the league’s top officials. “He was the best referee I ever worked with,” said his former colleague Joey Crawford, “and I worked with everybody.”
Crawford says that referees must have unimpeachable judgment, steady control of the game and deep knowledge of the rules. A good ref has one or two of those three traits. “He had all three,” he said. But even the best refs are prone to mistakes, and those errors can follow them forever. “You’re a scumbag for the rest of your life,” Crawford said. “Steve is not a scumbag. He’s the farthest thing from it. Players and coaches and people in our league have a different attitude about who we are and what we do. Steve really screwed that one up.”
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