Heavenly Father, we rise to meet You this Saturday morning in prayer, giving You glory, honor, and praise, for You are our eternal hope. You give us assurance in Your word that all our days are held in Your hands, and with that comfort we have true peace. Today, I ask that You increase the faith of Your people in these trying times. Many are struggling, and we tend to forget that You care about us amid our struggles. We forget that You have helped us through many trials, that You hold us in the palm of Your hand and keep us safe, that You feel our pain, and how much You love us and how important we are to You. Help us all to be secure in these truths as the Holy Spirit leads our way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
One of the more interesting recruiting stories from the 1990s involves former Duke legend Shane Battier.
Battier grew tired of coaches calling at all hours, so he gave each school a specific Monday night time slot to contact him. Most respected it.
Then Rick Pitino called (on a Wed night) outside his assigned time slot. Battier thanked him for the call, hung up, and told his mother to remove Kentucky from his list of schools.
His reasoning was if a coach didn’t respect his rules during recruiting, why would he respect him as a player if he goes there?
One phone call. Kentucky was out. That was it for Shane. CRAZY!
(via @GlueGuys_Pod)
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, as I step into this new day, I ask for Your hand of favor upon my life. Bless my health and strengthen my body. Bless my heart and guard my mind. Bless my home with peace and Your presence. Bless my family and keep them safe. Lord, bless the work of my hands, my job, finances, responsibilities, and opportunities. Let everything I do bring glory to You. Draw me closer to You, help me hear Your voice, and trust Your plans. Bless the dreams in my heart, my projects, and the doors You are opening. Let Your favor go before me and make a way. May Your goodness follow me, Your grace sustain me, and Your blessings overflow into every area of my life and touch everyone connected to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for waking me up this Sunday morning. Thank You for another day of life, rest, and a moment to reset.
Lord, as I step into today, help me slow down, breathe, and be present. Fill my mind with peace, my heart with calmness, and my spirit with renewal.
Please remove any stress, worry, or heaviness, and replace it with joy, gratitude, and clarity. Restore my energy and prepare me mentally, physically, and emotionally for the week ahead.
Guide my steps, align everything in my life according to Your will, and help me trust You in every area.
Cover me, my loved ones, and everyone reading this prayer from any harm or evil. Let today be peaceful, restful, and filled with blessings.
We love You, God. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen.
You need to pray about it. I know everybody says that, but seriously… pray about it. Not just the big things. Pray about the stress, the anxiety, the bills, the relationship that’s confusing you, and the sadness you’ve been carrying around pretending doesn’t exist. Then get up and do something for yourself. Take a walk, go for a run, treat yourself to lunch, get your favorite coffee, drive with the windows down and your favorite music playing, or sit somewhere quiet. Sometimes we wait for God to instantly change how we feel while ignoring the small things that help us breathe again. You don’t have to spend every day stuck in survival mode. The dishes and laundry will still be there. The text can wait. The world won’t fall apart because you took an hour for yourself. God didn’t create you just to carry responsibilities. He created you to experience peace too. So tonight give it to God and stop replaying the same worries in your mind. Pray about it. Take care of yourself. Remember that not every battle is yours to carry. Some things are better left in God’s hands.
Let me be clear about what just happened in the Karmelo Anthony verdict. Because the celebration is traveling and the discrepancies aren't.
FACT: Karmelo Anthony was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 35 years.
FACT: The jury deliberated for less than 3 hours.
FACT: There were zero Black jurors on this jury.
FACT: The prosecution used peremptory strikes to remove 100% of eligible Black jurors while keeping a white educator after claiming they didn't want educators on the jury.
FACT: Karmelo Anthony never stood up. The confrontation happened while he was seated. Austin Metcalf was standing over him.
FACT: The jury had the option to choose manslaughter. They chose murder.
FACT: The "sudden passion" defense which would have capped the sentence at 2 to 20 years was rejected.
FACT: Karmelo Anthony's mother was the only witness called during the punishment phase. She asked for mercy. The prosecutor responded: "Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent."
FACT: Karmelo Anthony will be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence, roughly 17.5 years. He is 19 years old.
Now ask yourself, if the races and sizes were reversed, if Karmelo was 6'1" standing over a seated smaller white teenager who reached up with a knife, does this even go to trial?
You already know the answer.
Say his name. Karmelo Anthony.
Stay Dangerous.
Same state. Different justice.
2023: Alec Adamson (Prosper, TX) shoots & kills a Black student, leads police on car chase + foot pursuit.
Sentence: 4 years. Served: 2.
2025: Karmelo (Frisco, TX) gets jumped by white students, defends himself with a knife.
Sentence: 35 years.
Tell me this isn’t two-tiered justice.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God who hears every prayer, sees every tear, and knows every burden we carry. Your Word says in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Today, I call on You with faith. For the person reading this, I pray that You bring peace to their worried mind, strength to their weary heart, and hope to every situation that feels uncertain. Open doors that need to be opened. Make a way where there seems to be no way. Remind them that they are never alone and that You are working behind the scenes even when they cannot see it. Help us trust You more, worry less, and lean on Your promises instead of our fears. Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, and Your unfailing love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for bringing us into a brand-new week. As we step into these new days, help us leave behind the stress, worry, and fear we’ve been carrying. Fill our hearts with Your peace, fill our minds with Your truth, and our spirits with fresh strength for whatever lies ahead. Lord, help us trust You more than our fears and focus on Your promises instead of our problems. Guide our steps, open the right doors, and give us wisdom in every decision we make this week. May this week be filled with unexpected blessings, favor, opportunities, and reminders of Your goodness. Protect our family, strengthen our faith, and help us see Your hand at work even in the small moments. Remind us that we are never walking through it alone you go before us, stand beside us, and hold our future in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you’re reading this today, let this be your reminder that God is still writing your story. The chapter you’re in right now may feel difficult, but difficult chapters are not the end of the book. Joseph had the pit before the palace. Ruth had loss before restoration. Hannah had waiting before answered prayers. Your story is still unfolding. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep showing up. God has a way of bringing beauty from places that once looked broken.
It’s been 2 games for USA Basketball in the FIBA U18 Americup 🇺🇸
The 3 best players for me…
Quentin Coleman (Illinois)
Adan Diggs (‘27)
Colben Landrew (UConn)
3 others who caught my eye…
Caleb Gaskins (Miami)
Bruce Branch III (BYU)
Davion Thompson (‘27)