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SPORTS

A Big Misunderstanding

Golf fans woke up Friday to… the mugshot of the World’s #1 golfer? 

Scottie Scheffler was arrested early Friday while trying to enter Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club, site of the weekend’s PGA Championship. An hour earlier, a man working course security was killed by a bus outside of the course’s gates and police were holding and diverting traffic as they investigated.

Unaware of the fatal accident, Scheffler arrived for warmups and attempted to drive around the stopped traffic. He was reportedly told to stop and, when he didn’t, an officer “attached himself” to Scheffler’s car and suffered minor injuries. 

Scheffler was arrested and released in time for him to make his tee time. He called the incident a “big misunderstanding,” and finished tied for 8th. American Xander Schauffele won the tournament, in his first major win.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Pray for the family of the man who lost his life on Friday, even as we are all reminded that each day is a gift from God. And every day is an opportunity for us to live a life worthy of His calling.

“The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer.  Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:7-8 (CSB) (read full passage)‬‬

WORLD NEWS

Crashes and Clashes

Turmoil persists in the Middle East.

On Sunday, Iranian media reported that a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Raisi and other officials made a “hard landing” while returning from Azerbaijan. Dense fog and low temps at nightfall complicated search and rescue efforts in the remote mountainous region, and reports coming from the crash site are conflicting. 

In Israel, Benny Gantz — political rival of PM Netanyahu and member of Israel’s war cabinet — has threatened to step down next month if his post-war plan for Gaza isn’t accepted. His proposal involves demilitarizing Gaza and forming a temporary international coalition to oversee its civilian affairs.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of four hostages from the Gaza Strip last week. Israel says the captives were killed on October 7 and transported into Gaza, where it believes 132 hostages remain.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
When an enemy destroys what you love most, and God calls you to love and pray for that enemy, obedience requires genuine humility and deep faith. Loving them reflects our Father, who loved his enemies so much that he allowed them to kill his Son so that he could save them.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” 
Matthew 5:44-45 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WORLD NEWS

Rife with Strife

France has mobilized 1,000 police officers to restore order in the French-ruled South Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

The unrest began last week in response to a proposed Constitutional amendment. The new legislation would make French people who’ve lived in New Caledonia for more than 10 years eligible to vote in local elections. The move alarmed leaders of the indigenous Kanak population, who fear it will dilute their voice.

Last week’s protests quickly turned into riots. Property was burned, businesses looted, six people were killed, and barricades were erected between the capital city and the airport, blocking access to food and medicine. 

France’s President Emanuel Macron has said he won’t sign the legislation immediately, but he must reach a new agreement with local leaders by June.

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Verse to consider when drained by the constant conflict in the world… “He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war.”
Micah 4:3 (CSB) (read full passage)

Harrison Butker's commencement speech at Benedictine College sparked an NFL-sized controversy. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker criticized President Biden, abortion, and COVID lockdowns while guessing that the Catholic school’s women graduates were "most excited" about marriage and children. The response has been divided: his jersey sales skyrocketed, and 200,000 people signed a petition for his removal from the Chiefs.
 

Supreme Court Justice Alito is facing calls to recuse himself from upcoming January 6 cases after reports that an upside-down flag—a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement—flew outside his home. Alito says his wife flew the flag in an unrelated neighborhood dispute. The news has reinvigorated calls for the Court to adopt an enforceable code of ethics.
 

The man convicted of assaulting and attempting to kidnap Paul Pelosi in 2022, husband to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. There’s one wrinkle; the court never gave the defendant the opportunity to speak, as required by law. While the case will be briefly reopened next week, his sentence is not expected to change.
 

GameStop is looking for an extra life. On Friday, the video game retailer announced plans to raise money by selling additional shares following a surge in its stock price (and disappointing first-quarter sales). GameStop stock soared as much as 200% early last week but fell sharply Wednesday through Friday, ending up 27% on the week.
 

A security video of Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 emerged on Friday. The footage comes after a series of public allegations and scathing lawsuits against the hip-hop icon. While Diddy's legal team has yet to comment, the mogul took to Instagram to say he is “truly sorry” and call his actions "inexcusable."

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Images of 19 spiral galaxies…

What We’re (Finally) Doing
Memorizing Scripture, with Bible Memory Project*

Have you ever written a Bible verse on a sticky note, stuck it to your bathroom mirror so you’ll read it constantly… and then ignored it for several months? That’s been my (losing) memorization strategy for years.

Now, my yearly subscription to the Bible Memory Project helps me actually do the thing. Every month, they select four memory verses and mail me the resources to help, including wristbands with the verse’s “acronym” (the first letter of each word), which is much less ignorable than a sticky note. 

Subscribe for the year here and start (or re-start) memorizing the Bible with me. June’s verses focus on “salvation,” a great starting place for sharing our faith with others!

Steph Juliot | Writer

What We’re Subscribed To
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BookBub tracks deals on books and ebooks and delivers them to your inbox… and let me tell you, you shouldn’t ever pay full price for a book again! Someone is always offering a discount, and BookBub has found it.

It took me a bit to get my subscription right. I selected my interest categories (Christian nonfiction, fantasy, business, politics) and said I wanted all deals… and it was too much. I’ve scaled back to one email a week summarizing only the best deals in my categories.

Subscribe (for free) and select your own book categories.

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