VERSES FROM PSALMS

"Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King & my God, for to You do I pray . . . For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you . . . But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, & spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may exult in You. For You bless the righteous, O Lord; You cover him with favor as with a shield." (Ps. 5:2, 4, 11-12) . As I continue working my way through "Engaging the Psalms:  A Guide for Reflection & Prayer," I'm going to continue posting some of my favorite verses from the Psalms I've read. 

TRENDING

"Locals call for tourist to be sacrificed after dancing on Mayan temple." Drudge Report

"Scholars believe overflow crowd watched Sermon on the Mount via Jumbotron." Babylon Bee

"New Disney CEO promises to make child grooming slightly less obvious." Babylon Bee

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Stacey Abrams announces election bid for Senate in Pennsylvania after finding out any Democrat can win there." Babylon Bee

"Qatar authorities throw U.S. soccer team off top of building." Babylon Bee

"Nancy Pelosi steals Speaker of the House podium as souvenir." Babylon Bee

"Taliban quits Twitter to protest return of Trump." Babylon Bee

MAN'S BEST FRIEND

"Your next dog may be a robot." Drudge

"Hybrid animals could soon roam Earth." Drudge

THANKSGIVING

"FBI closely monitoring gathering of Christian Nationalists. The FBI has dispatched surveillance teams after several reports surfaced of Christian Nationalists planning to spend a day thanking God for His blessings & praying for America." Babylon Bee

"Turkey denied presidential pardon after image of it attending Jan. 6." Babylon Bee

WEDDINGS

Last SAT, we were privileged to attend the wedding & reception for the daughter of one of our very close friends. I don't know about you, but whenever I'm at a wedding, I remember with great fondness & appreciation our own wedding on 10/31/75. God blessed us with a beautiful wedding. He blessed me with a godly wife & devoted mother to our children. I'm also reminded at every wedding that it's not really all about the wedding. It's all about the marriage. If a wedding is the high point of a couple's marriage, something is wrong. 

Lessons from a good wedding *

* Column by Sharon Randall in Norfolk Daily News

"Weddings can teach us a lot about life. For example:

> Be yourself. If you like who you are, others will usually like you, too. If you don't like who you are, be someone else--the kind of person you want to be be.

> Be happy--as happy as you can possibly be. Smile every chance you get. You deserve it. And others need to see it.

> Be committed to someone or something. Commitment changes the world. It brings out the best in us & each other.

> Try to remember that not everything is about you.

> Surround yourself with people who will make you laugh, hold you when you cry & maybe even bake your wedding cake.

> Dress for the occasion, but wear sensible shoes

> Fall in love with someone who loves you, who will be your perfect match & best friend forever.

> Finally, remember this:  Things don't always go as you plan. Life is full of surprises. Sometimes a toad turns out to be a treasure.

NUMBERS AREN'T PRETTY *

* Source:  Editorial in NDN, 11/8

Recently, [Planned Parenthood] released its 2020-21 annual report, albeit nine months later than it typically would do so. Even though delayed in becoming public, some of the data is still telling. Such as:

* Planned Parenthood performed 383,460 abortions--an all-time high in 2020-21 & up from 354,871 the previous fiscal year.

* Performed 371,755 breast screenings & gynecology tests, down from 542,659 the previous year.

* Conducted 127,095 'well woman' exams, down from 208,248 the previous year.

* Made 1,940 adoption referrals, down from 2,667 the previous year & less than half of two years ago.

What to make of that data?

First, Planned Parenthood performed nearly 200 abortions for every adoption referral it made. Next, the declines in PP's actual health services, such as breast screenings, are striking. 

For many years, PP representatives are pushed to have their organization described in the media as a comprehensive women's health services provider. These most recent numbers, however, would seem to indicate that it's becoming primarily an abortion provider.

At the same time, the organization's funding is increasing. The report indicated PP had more than $2.1 billion in net assets, up from $2 billion the previous year. Government funding increased from $618.1 million to $644.4 million in the 2020-21 year . . . 

The unfortunate reality is that Planned Parenthood & its allies (including the Biden administration & many in Congress) are pulling out all the stops to still promote abortion on demand . . . if PP has its way, abortions & taxpayer funding will keep rising, even as its other key health services keep declining.

THE REASON FETTERMAN WON

* Source:  Column by Christine Flowers, NDN, 11/16

"The real reason that Fetterman was elected over a competent, well-educated surgeon who saves lives instead of seeking the release of those who took them in the most brutal manner, is because more people hated us than liked Oz. Let me put it another way:  The reason Fetterman was elected to the U.S. Senate is that his supporters cast a vengeance vote. There was nothing appealing, nothing inspiring, nothing admirable in this man who will now represent 50% of our senatorial presence in D.C.

"There was nothing noteworthy, particularly commendable or even redemptive about him. The thing that Fetterman harnessed better than anyone else could was the anger, the hatred & the resentment that Democrats have harbored since Donald Trump was elected president of the U.S. six yers ago.

"It has festered, & it has corroded the innards of every progressive & even every center-left liberal for a very long time, & this was their opportunity to exact that pound of flesh at the ballot box. Simple as that. The truth is that we now have a senator who was elected out of hatred & anger, misogyny towards conservative women, disregard for victims of crime, & a sense of gotcha.

"Well, they got us, that's for sure. And they should be prepared for what happens in 2024. Elephants have long memories."