At its core, graciousness is an echo of divine character. When Jesus began His ministry, He declared not only “the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14–15) but also modeled a manner of speech that disarmed hostility and drew out the best in people (John 8:1–11). He chose words not of contempt but of truth and compassion. That same mix of honesty and respect is the very lifeblood of true graciousness.
According to a recent study, more than half of today’s teenagers regularly communicate with generative artificial intelligence companions, fueled by the appeal of constant companionship and even mental-health support. Yet experts caution that these digital confidants, however attentive, can foster unhealthy dependency, deepen loneliness, and offer unpredictable or harmful responses. To the unsuspecting or unaware, A.I. can take on many human-like traits.
According to a recent social media post from workers of Israel’s Temple Institute, efforts continue unabated to find what Jewish authorities might consider an “unblemished” red heifer, indicating the failure of a batch of specimens brought to Israel from Texas in 2022 to pass examination. The recent disqualification of the last of these five red heifers represents a setback for the Temple Institute’s preparations.
Over the past century, the United States has replenished more than 818 miles of coastline with new sand—a staggering effort to combat the natural erosion that threatens both property and prosperity. According to the National Beach Nourishment Database, this process has involved the placement of roughly 1.5 billion cubic yards of sand, costing billions of dollars.