Former immigration judge breaks down legal risks and what's next for Ilhan Omar and more top headlines ift.tt/RkNbEL4

Two-time ‘Jeopardy!’ champion arrested on child porn charges while on probation: officials ift.tt/s32dmDr

California rabbi accused of intentionally running down, killing worker painting Costco lot: prosecutors ift.tt/WjXsl8N

US military kills five in eastern Pacific strike on suspected drug-trafficking vessel ift.tt/BriFaZL

Florida girlfriend allegedly tracks cheating boyfriend, shoots woman in his car: reports ift.tt/q3fTZn4

Halima Salman convicted of receiving ISIS military training in Syria, faces 10 years in prison ift.tt/Pne9y3S

Man accused of threatening to hijack United flight says it was a drunken joke ift.tt/V5wqGOx

Road rage victim’s utility worker ‘brothers’ face off with hedge fund driver indicted in murder case ift.tt/1K6Sf2b

Suspected shark knocks fisherman off kayak a mile off California coast, forcing swim to shore ift.tt/V8TMJjY

Escaped Tennessee killer's abandoned truck offers clues to what he may do next: Retired FBI agent ift.tt/ILDboH0

Venezuelan illegal immigrant killed by FBI agent in Chicago was caught and released under Biden: sources ift.tt/0ij3WPX

Luxury real estate brothers sentenced to 30 years in prison for yearslong sex-trafficking scheme ift.tt/gTiAy4o

‘Beloved’ daredevils who scaled Empire State Building inching toward deal after proposal stunt: attorney ift.tt/Z4jIKcB

Haitian national charged with murdering estranged wife outside Walmart after green card marriage goes awry ift.tt/chz9oNP

Ted Bundy expected to be linked to another decades-old homicide nearly 40 years after his execution ift.tt/13Uw2tq

Multi-state manhunt underway as murder victim's close friend fears escaped killer could strike again ift.tt/CRcdVBT

Trump takes campaign blitz to Texas with one week until midterms and more top headlines foxnews.com/us/trump-takes-c…

Frustrated Illinois residents seek to redraw state map in bid to break free from Chicago foxnews.com/us/frustrated-il…

Dems silent after violent attack in wealthy area of New York City as suspect remains at large foxnews.com/us/dems-silent-v…

THE ONE THING WE KEEP MAKING EXCUSES FOR What are you still holding back from God? If you believe in Him, that question deserves an honest answer. We may willingly surrender much of our lives while protecting one thing we do not want Him to change. Perhaps it is a resentment we keep feeding, a habit we defend, an apology we owe or a dishonest practice we have learned to explain away. We know something needs attention, but we keep finding reasons to leave it alone. We can make progress in other areas while carefully avoiding that one. Eventually, “I need to deal with this” becomes “That’s just how I am.” What began as a choice settles into a habit, and we start treating it as something nobody should expect us to change. Jesus asked, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) His question challenges the distance between our words and our conduct. Calling Him Lord means accepting His authority, including when His instructions conflict with something we want. For those who do not share that faith, there is still a familiar human problem here. We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions while other people experience our actions. We may think of ourselves as fair, patient and honest, yet repeatedly make exceptions when those qualities cost us something. For a believer, however, the responsibility goes further. Our lives belong to God. Paul urged Christians to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) That includes how we treat our families, conduct business, use our time and respond when someone points out that we are wrong. Sometimes our resistance sounds reasonable. We will apologize when the other person does. We will stop cutting corners when money is less tight. We will obey that commandment when it becomes less inconvenient. But circumstances may never make obedience easy, and delay can become a comfortable way of refusing. God’s commandments do not become optional because we can explain why keeping them is difficult. Surrender means allowing His Word to correct our choices rather than searching for permission to continue them. That begins with honest prayer. We can admit that we are struggling, that we fear the consequences of changing or that part of us still wants what we know is wrong. God already knows. Through Jesus Christ, we can seek forgiveness and ask for the strength to act differently. Then we must take the next step. Make the apology without adding an accusation. Correct the misleading statement. Remove the opportunity that keeps drawing us back into a sinful habit. Ask for wise help instead of pretending everything is under control. Surrender does not mean we will never struggle again. Growth takes effort, and when we stumble, we need to repent and continue. But there is a difference between struggling against a weakness and insisting on our right to keep it. Consider the part of your life you feel most inclined to defend. Have you honestly examined it in the light of God’s Word? The change you keep postponing may be the very place where you need to begin yielding to Him. If messages like this are meaningful to you, I invite you to join Observers of the Sabbath and Holy Days on Facebook for biblical teaching, encouragement and discussion about living God’s way.facebook.com/groups/SabbathA… ~ Invitation from Jody Field and Bob.