Jour : 5 janvier 2025

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“And I am sure that God who began a good work in you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.” (Philippians 1:6)
The six days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is a time when we look back at the year and reflect upon our successes and our failures. We look at the good times as well as the bad times. Most of us even make resolutions for the new year that we rarely keep. Yet, it’s important that we bring closure to the past year and make sure that we’ve learned and grown from whatever came our way. Indeed, real growth can come this time of the year.
The end of the year is also an important time to evaluate our spiritual growth. Sure, we should look at and learn from the emotional, physical, and financial challenges that 2024 has brought our way. However, we should also pay some attention to the spiritual side of our journey as well.
Each year, I ask myself, “Am I farther along in my walk with God than I was the year before?” It’s a question that each of us should ask. The fact is God expects us to look at ourselves and take account of where we stand in our relationship with him. You see, when we repented of our sins and asked Jesus to come and live in our hearts, it didn’t mean that we just dropped a few bad habits. Repentance means that we want to change everything about our lives and move in a different direction. We should be running toward God instead of away from him. Or are you still running in the same direction?
There are a number of other barometers that can help us determine just how much we have grown. My list is not all-inclusive, but it’s a good start and deals with some very basic standards about Christian growth.
Have I looked more like Christ this year? It may sound a little arrogant, but it’s biblical. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” (I Peter 1:15) Are you more Christ-like in your actions and thoughts?
The Bible calls the process of becoming more Christ-like “sanctification.” Complete sanctification doesn’t happen overnight. It’s gradual and should increase from year to year. It also requires that we grow in the knowledge of God’s word. That is why Jesus said, “Sanctify them by your truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17) So, have you grown in the knowledge of God’s word?
Have I been a better witness for Christ? Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Have you led anyone to Christ or have you encouraged anyone to even want to know Christ after looking at your life? If not, perhaps you feel as convicted as the four leprous men in II Kings. After stealing silver, gold, and clothing, they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves.” (II Kings 7:9)
Do I attend church regularly? God expects us to go to church. That is why he says at Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The truth is we are commanded to attend church. More importantly, we are also commanded to encourage one another to go as well. When did you last invite someone to go to church with you?
Take a hard look at yourself as this year begins. You may not like all that you see, but don’t get discouraged. Remember what J. Sidlow Baxter wrote:
What God chooses, he cleanses.
What God cleanses, he molds.
What God molds, he fills.
What God fills, he uses.
Mike Ruffin
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Ann Farabbe sees the Perfect Mom and finds out she knows her.
The Rev. Mike Ruffin asks, Are you religious or a Christian during Christmas?
The Rev. Steve Davis gives us a prayer for the New Year.
D.G. Martin looks at Carter Wrenn’s book on smoke-filled rooms and politics.
Al Stanford writes about the rapture and those left behind.
Mike Ruffin
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Internet Archive hacking drama: why did they do it?  CyberNews.com
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I watched a movie last weekend and have seen tons of folks talking about it all over social media ever since. In fact, my friend Lori texted my book club group chat and said, "Y'all I don't normally watch horror movies, but I just watched The Deliverance on Netflix. It was very creepy, but a really good movie about sin and redemption and family dynamics."
That is pretty much a perfect description. For fans of movies like The Exorcist or Amityville Horror, The Deliverance is definitely giving similar vibes. Here's the trailer for the movie. Be prepared for some chills.
The creepiest part is that it is based on a true story. Telling the tale of an Indiana family and the unexplained terrifying events they experienced starting in 2011 when they moved into their rental house in Gary, Indiana. Andra Day, Mo'Nique, and Glenn Close portray main characters including real-life protagonist and mother Latoya Ammons and her mother, Rose Campbell.
They along with Latoya's three children reported what happened to them in 2014 to the Indianapolis Star. The family witnessed shadowy figures, wet boot prints on the floor, and flying objects. Then things got really scary when the kids began to speak low growly voices that were not their own. Levitating above their beds and being thrown around the house by invisible forces, LaToya knew she needed to find someone to help.
After having no luck in finding a church leader willing to believe them and cleanse the house, and after following the failed advice of a clairvoyant, their terrifying situation got even worse. Witnesses saw the children acting as though they were possessed by something evil.
Medical professionals and the Department of Child Services worker assigned to the case saw Latoya's 9-year-old scurry backward and walk up walls multiple times. The other two children were also obviously experiencing physical and mental distress that could not be explained. Here is a video from the Hammond Police Department with Latoya's mother,

Eventually, the police got involved and the family found a priest willing to perform an exorcism. There were suspicious things uncovered in the basement and so many more unbelievable occurrences that you really need to read for yourself. Here is a link to the original story now shared by USA Today. 
I also found a documentary on Prime Video that gave me even more goosebumps than the Netflix movie! It is called Demon House made by Zak Bagans, a well-known paranormal investigator. He purchased the home in Gary and as they search for the truth of what happened to the Ammon family. Horrible things happened to almost everyone involved in the production. Accidents, injuries, and Zak's eyes were permanently damaged after seeing a dark figure come out of one of the walls.
Zak had the house torn down so it could never harm anyone again.
He did, however, keep some remnants of the home. A segment of the basement stairs, a small table with crucifixes from the basement, and dirt from the basement. Once you watch either the movie, the documentary, and especially read the original news story, you'll know why, but if you're like me, you will not understand why they weren't destroyed as well!
Gallery Credit: Stacker

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The science behind Well’s ultraprocessed foods challenge.
By Jancee Dunn
I write the Well newsletter, about personal health and fitness.
I love those sprinkle-covered sheet cakes you can buy at the supermarket — so much so that when my daughter was small, I trained her to grab the corner piece for me at birthday parties.
When you hear the phrase “ultraprocessed foods,” those rainbow-colored desserts — with their long and complicated ingredients lists — are probably the types of products you think of.
In reality, the category is much broader than that.
Ultraprocessed foods include anything that can’t typically be made in a home kitchen because you don’t have the ingredients or the machinery. (Most of us don’t have a jar of, say, methyl cellulose in our pantries.)
These kinds of foods have become ubiquitous in the United States, and experts say they appear to be taking a toll on our health.
The Times’s Well desk starts each January with a weeklong challenge to improve some aspect of our health. This year, the focus is on reducing the ultraprocessed foods in our diets. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain the science behind the challenge.
Almost all food is processed in some way, whether it’s being chopped, frozen or cooked. But ultraprocessing is different. Ultraprocessed foods are formulations made using industrial methods.
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St. Louis American
On Dec. 31, 1862, cloaked by what likely was a cold, dark night in the dead of winter, groups of Americans of African descent — some free, others still enslaved — gathered together in secret.
As a bloody war over their place in the nation raged, the African Americans took part in an age-old religious tradition of Wesleyan origin, marking the end of one calendar year and the beginning of another with prayer and reflection. 
Instead of somber reflection on past sins and prayers to God for obedience and grace, however, the Black men, women, and children who huddled in dank cellars, in ramshackle slave quarters, or outdoors under the stars, waited anxiously as midnight slowly approached, when the Emancipation Proclamation would take effect  — marking what they hoped would be freedom for themselves and their loved ones.
Most people in the Black community are familiar with Watch Night, one of the oldest cultural traditions of New Year’s Eve. Marked with late-night worship services in church, the event is usually followed by a fellowship meal or a love feast. 
The great demonstrations of faith do not belie the remnants of superstition imported along with the ancestors. One is that a man had to walk through the entire house before any residents, especially women, to ward off any bad luck for the incoming year. 
Another is the selection of particular foods to accentuate the meals: collard greens to assure the influx of money and black-eyed peas with rice — Hoppin’ John— also for good luck.
But the history of Watch Night is one of contradictions. 
Even in 1862, celebrated in secret, Watch Night was a time of celebration of the faithfulness of God, his goodness and his grace — a strange sentiment for people stolen from their homeland and held against their will in chattel slavery. Although some elements have been altered by time and necessity, the tradition prevails in the Black community, regardless of war or hard times. 
Modeled after the New Year’s Eve service begun by the Moravians, a 18th-century religious sect, and incorporated into Protestant worship by Methodist theologian Rev. John Wesley, Black people adopted Watch Night and made it their own. Along with religious gratitude, they transformed it into an expression of gratitude, overlaid with anticipation of freedom and high hopes for their future. 
According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the first Watch Night took place during the height of the Civil War. 
“On the night of December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered, many in secret, to ring in the new year and await news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect,” according to the museum’s website. “Just a few months earlier, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the executive order that declared enslaved people in the rebelling Confederate States legally free.” 
“However, the decree would not take effect until the clock struck midnight at the start of the new year,” according to the NMAAHC. “The occasion, known as Watch Night or ‘Freedom’s Eve,’ marks when African Americans across the country watched and waited for the news of freedom.”
The nature of Watch Night services hasn’t changed much except for the specified religious litanies designated by various denominations. Safety concerns have influenced the timing of services; some are as early as noon on New Year’s Eve, while others take place at 9 p.m. or later. 
As congregants bow in prayer minutes before midnight, someone sings, “Watchman, watchman, please tell me the hour of the night.” 
The minister replies, counting down the time: “It is three minutes to midnight.”
“It is one minute before the new year.”
Then, finally, he calls out, “It is now midnight — freedom has come!” 
This article originally appeared here.
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5 races to keep on your radar in early 2025  The Hill
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Now
25
Sun
37
Mon
38

HEADLINES:
-Winter storm this weekend
-Precip begins as snow, then changing to wintry mix
-Slippery roads are likely
FORECAST:
A quiet day today will give way to winter weather a plenty as we head into the next few days. No weather worries tonight if you're heading out – it's just a touch windy. Jackets will be needed as it will also be quite chilly. Middle 20s by 7PM and then lower to middle 20s by around midnight.
Most of the state is under some form of Winter weather product, and most of our area is under a Winter Storm Warning.
Sunday starts off quiet enough; however, after about 2 or 3 PM we should start to see the first round of winter weather in Central and Southside Virginia. Earlier to the west, a little later to the east. Probably around 4-5 PM, everyone should have seen something of winter weather. A round of snow will continue as we head through the evening. Travel will become quite tricky as we head deeper and deeper into the day on Sunday. I would get anywhere I needed to be by about 3 PM – after that point, the roads could really start to get problematic. Temperatures will be in the upper 30s and lower 40s. Colder to the north warmer to the south. Snow should continue until around midnight on Sunday and this should be all snow for the entire area, with the possible exception would be those of us along the VA/NC border.
Overnight on Sunday night things may temporarily tone down before the next round will move in. This time temperatures will be warming up a touch and then we will start to bring back the chance of icing mixed in with the snow, especially in areas south of Highway 60. Therefore, overnight Sunday and into Monday morning watch for a mixture of sleet, snow, and freezing rain along Highway 460 and most of the NRV. Still a mostly rain event during this stretch for areas right along the VA/NC border, and still a mostly snow event along and north of Highway 60.
Monday we do start to dry out especially by Monday afternoon, we may get one final round of winter weather (probably all snow) Monday night but that shouldn't cause much additional accumulations.
Tuesday it's cold – but the sunshine returns and that stays for the rest of the week.
Roanoke, NRV, Lynchburg and Most of Central Virginia:
SNOW 1-3" ICE: 0.05"-0.15"
Areas north of US 60:
SNOW: 3-6" (more the farther north you head, Charlottesville could see near a foot) ICE: Minimal
Danville, Southside and areas along the VA/NC Border:
SNOW: 0-1" ICE: 0-0.05"

© 2025 Sinclair, Inc.

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The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, winning numbers for each game:
26-32-43-54-56, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 4-3-1
Evening: 2-0-4
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 4-9-3-1
Evening: 4-6-7-5
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
03-09-27-29-33, Lucky Ball: 06
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
01-03-17-21-34, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 03
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
12-25-63-65-66, Powerball: 14
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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