World's Tallest Wooden Skyscraper

Plans drawn up for world's tallest wooden skyscraper

SUMITOMO FORESTRY

A Japanese company is planning to build the world's tallest wooden skyscraper, to mark its 350th anniversary in 2041.

Sumitomo Forestry said 10% of the 70-storey W350 tower would be steel, combined with about 180,000 cubic metres of indigenous wood.

Different Fares for Different People

Airlines Could Soon Start Charging Different Fares for Different People

Klaus Meinhardt/Getty Images

Fares based on your travel habits? Welcome to the future.

CAILEY RIZZO 

It’s common knowledge that passengers pay different prices for their seats. Someone who bought well in advance is likely to have paid a different airfare than a passenger who purchased their ticket at the last minute, while those who set flight alerts have a good chance of scoring a deal.

Best (& Fastest) Alternative DNS Server

How to Choose the Best (and Fastest) Alternative DNS Server

by Chris Hoffman 

Your internet service provider offers its own DNS servers, which help you turn websites like www.howtogeek.com into their respective IP addresses. Your devices use those by default, but you can set your own preferred DNS servers for a bit of improved speed.

Many DNS servers will also block malware, pornography, and other types of websites, if you want them to. We’ll talk about all your options in this article.

Configure Bitmoji & Snapchat

How to Configure Bitmoji and Snapchat

by Harry Guinness 

If you’ve used Snapchat, you’ll probably have noticed that some of your friends have a cartoon profile picture that they can also include in different Snaps. This is a “Bitmoji”. Lets look at how to set one up to use with Snapchat.

Free Movie Rentals & Other Rewards

How to Get Free Movie Rentals and Other Rewards from Your Chromecast or Google Home

by Cameron Summerson 

Google has done a good job making a name for itself in the hardware game, and I’m not talking about the Pixel phones here—I’m talking about Chromecast and Google Home. Both devices are useful, affordable, and among the best at what they do. 

Top 'Sinful' States

Florida, California, Nevada top 'sinful ' list

By Benjamin Brown | Fox News

Nevada, home to the "Sin City" of Las Vegas, ranks only No. 3 among "sinful" states, a new survey says.  (f11photo)

What's the most "sinful" state in America?

Stratolaunch Plane Hits 40 Knots

Stratolaunch Monster Plane Hits 40 Knots in Latest Taxi Test

We're dying to see this thing fly.

By Jay Bennett

 STRATOLAUNCH SYSTEMS

Stratolaunch, a gigantic twin-fuselage aircraft built by Scaled Composites for Paul Allen's Stratolaunch Systems, is inching closer and closer to first flight. On February 26, Paul Allen tweeted out a video of the biggest airplane in the world by wingspan, 385 feet from tip to tip, conducting taxi tests at the Mojave Air & Space Port that brought the mothership up to 40 knots, or about 46 mph. This represents an increase of about 15 knots since Stratolaunch rolled down the taxiway under its own power for the first time in December.

Pilots Suffer Frostbite & Fly Blind

Fighter Pilots Suffer Frostbite and Fly Blind When Their Cockpit Ices Over

The inside of the Growler fighter became an icebox when the environmental control systems failed.

By Kyle Mizokami

 U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS JEREMY D. WOLFF

The crew of a EA-18G Growler electronic attack jet were flying a routine mission last month when they got a frosty surprise—and narrowly avoided disaster.

Movie Preview - Red Sparrow

Working on Your Goals

While You're Working on Your Goals, God Is Working on You

While You’re Working on Your Goals, God Is Working on You
By Rick Warren

“I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize” (Philippians 3:12CEV).

Yesterday we started talking about reasons why you need to set some goals. Today we’re going to talk about three more reasons why goal setting is so important that even Jesus set goals for himself.

"God is a Sports Fan"

God is a Sports Fan
By Ryan Duncan

Back when I was in college, I witnessed a "debate" between one of my BibleProfessors and a Philosophy major. What were they "debating" about? Was it the idea of a Triune God? The infallibility of Scripture? Predestination? Actually, it was about Football.

Selfless Love

Selfless Love

By Touching Lives 

“Near the cross of Jesus stood His Mother, His Mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His Mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son.’” John 19:25-26

The famous English writer, Samuel Johnson, once said, “When a man knows he is about to be hanged it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” If there were ever a time when you would expect anybody to think only of himself and nobody else it would be when he is about to die. Yet, even as Jesus was facing a grueling death, He was still thinking about others.

Wed Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

I visited with a man in his home, several years ago the week after he had received Jesus Christ into his life at our Easter Service. As we were rejoicing over his decision He said with a concerned look on his face, “I have one big question.”. It wasn’t so much a question as it was a frustration. He said, “You know I asked God to give me patience and then it is almost as if God just beats me down as hard as He can, because all kinds of problems come into my life. I don’t understand it. Why is it when I ask for patience, He sends me problems?” Frankly, I couldn’t help but laugh. Here is what I said to this man, “Do you realize the only time you need to be patient is when you’ve got something to be patient about? When you ask God to teach you patience all He was doing was answering your prayer.”

As I have told you many times before, every problem is a test. Every difficulty is an opportunity. It is an opportunity for you to trust God. It is an opportunity for you to hear from God. It is an opportunity for you to believe God. It is an opportunity for you to learn to exercise patience, believing that God will guide you to handle the problem.

He Saves Our Electronics

He Saves Our Electronics From the Dump, Now Faces Prison

The 'Washington Post' takes a look at Eric Lundgren's court battle

By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff

Electronics recycling is shown in this stock photo.   (Getty Images)

(NEWSER) – Eric Lundgren is known for impressive and admirable feats, with his e-waste recycling company putting 14,000 cellphones in the hands of US soldiers abroad; the 33-year-old's company handles 41 million pounds of e-waste annually. Now, he's fighting a 15-month sentence. The Washington Post explains the jargony situation, which involves Microsoft Windows licenses and "restore discs." New PCs typically come with the discs, which enable the Windows operating system to be re-installed in the event the computer's hard drive is erased. As the NextWeb explains, if a PC is sold, its Windows license legally transfers to the buyer, which makes "restoring non-working PCs ... a relatively easy process." You use the restore disc to install the operating system and enter the license key (traditionally listed on a sticker on the PC) to validate it.

So Lundgren had an idea of how to keep many perfectly good computers from being scrapped for parts: Make "restore discs" that refurbishers could use in instances where the restore disc had been lost but the license key was present and valid. And so he did, but the 28,000 discs he created were never sold: The 2013 shipment (en route from China to a sales partner in Florida) was seized by the feds. The discs had the Windows and Dell logos on them, which he admits was a misstep. He was found guilty of conspiracy and copyright infringement, which brought the sentence and a $50,000 fine, but a federal appeals court has granted him a stay of sentence and another shot at arguing that the discs are essentially worthless and had nothing to do with making a profit (Microsoft alleged they were worth $420,000) but was an attempt to tamp down on e-waste.

Amazon's Latest Prime Perk

Amazon's latest Prime perk: 5% cash back at Whole Foods

by Jordan Valinsky   @CNNMoney

Amazon Prime credit card holders just bagged a new reward.

Beginning Tuesday, Whole Foods shoppers who use the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card will get 5% cash back on purchases. Cardholders who aren't members of Amazon's $99 yearly subscription service will get 3% cash back.

Chipotle Is Testing Quinoa

Chipotle Is Testing Quinoa As a Healthy Alternative to Rice

COLLIER SUTTER 

Chipotle’s menu may soon get a healthy boost.

On Monday the burrito chain began serving quinoa at its New York City test kitchen. The new item is made up of “red and gold quinoa tossed with a little citrus juice, cumin, and freshly chopped cilantro,” Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold told Business Insider. “We are recommending that added to a salad or in place of rice in another entree.”

New Craft Beer Hotel

A New Craft Beer Hotel Will Have a Tap in Every Room — and Cold Beers in the Shower

Courtesy of BrewDog

Calling all beer lovers. 

TALIA AVAKIAN

Beer lovers can soon spend their days surrounded by their favorite drink as the world’s first craft beer hotel is underway thanks to independent craft brewer BrewDog.

Upgrades to AirPods Headphones

Apple Plans Upgrades to Popular AirPods Headphones

By Mark Gurman

• Company working on water resistance, more Siri integration
• Apple CFO says wearables revenue rose almost 70% last year

Apple Inc., seeking to bolster its wearables business, is working on upgrades to its wireless AirPods headphones, according to people familiar with the matter.

Olympics on Tinder

Winter Olympics get steamy as traffic on Tinder, PornHub skyrockets

MARTIN ROGERS  |  USA TODAY SPORTS

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – There is no shortage of statistics when it comes to the Winter Olympics, from split times, to world records to personal bests, and more analytics than you can shake a ski pole at.

Some are serious and illustrate the difference between success and failure. Others are, well, frivolous to say the least.

And so, as things began to wind down at these predominantly well-behaved Games came a pair of statistical shots from unexpected sources.

Heavy Rain & Howling Winds

Heavy Rain and Howling Winds Will Batter the Midwest and Northeast This Week

Getty Images

FAITH EHERTS / ACCUWEATHER.COM 

This article originally appeared on AccuWeather.com.

Only a few days of mild, sunny weather are in store for the Midwest and Northeast before another storm approaches later this week.

Satellites & Space

Doomsday Satellites and the Space Wars To Come

The Pentagon put Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellites in orbit to ensure communication in the event of a nuclear attack. But those spacecraft could also play a role in the rapid militarization of space.

By Joe Pappalardo

LOCKHEED MARTIN

• Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites will be able to keep the U.S. military in communication even after a nuclear attack.
• They're also more resistant to electronic jamming, which is a growing concern as tensions with China and Russia heat up.
• In the war of the future, nations may try to physically destroy other nations' satellites to disrupt communications and navigation.

Goals Help You

Goals Help You Do What Matters Most

Goals Help You Do What Matters Most
By Rick Warren

“God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (Ephesians 3:20 The Message).

The Bible tells us that Jesus set goals. In fact he often announced publicly what his goal was for the next phase of his ministry.

So why should you set goals? We’re going to talk about three reasons today and three more tomorrow.

Rejoicing in All Seasons

Rejoicing in All Seasons
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Contributor

“The hope of the righteous brings joy” (Proverbs 10:28).

I’m currently in the process of moving – but only a few miles away. During the intense first weekend of driving back and forth constantly from the old house to the new apartment, I was always amused when I passed by one curious little house. We began moving in on Valentine’s Day weekend, and this little brick house by the roadside was decked in red and white lights and glowing hearts dotting their lawn. During the daylight it was easy to miss the house, but come nightfall it stood out like a beacon of Valentine’s Day glory.

Tues Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

The way the story is introduced tells us basically all we need to know about this man

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.” (John 9:1)

This man was born blind. From the time that human hands pulled him from his mother’s womb he entered into a world where the velvet cover of darkness had been pulled over the light of the sun. A big reason for his desperation was isolation. Growing up no one could play with him and he couldn’t go out to play. He couldn’t go to school, because he couldn’t be taught. Remember – no specialized education, no braille, no way to learn how to read or write.

This man had a bigger problem. He was not just physically blind, but he was spiritually blind. Remember at this moment, he had never met Jesus and he didn’t know Jesus. That is why Jesus says in verse 5,

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”(John 9:5)

That is an incredible statement. Jesus said he was “the light of the world.” At that time, most of the world, 99.99% of the world didn’t know who He was and had never seen Him. Yet, He makes this incredible claim that He is “the light of the world.” Back in chapter 1, John makes this incredible statement about Jesus.

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”
(John 1:9)

You know what darkness is – it is the absence of light. If Jesus is the light of the world and Jesus is the One who lights up every one, if you don’t have Jesus you are living in spiritual darkness.

HomePod

How to Stop the HomePod from Reading Your Text Messages to Other People

by Craig Lloyd 

While the HomePod is great for music, it can also do some other neat things, like read your text messages to you. Be careful, though, as anyone within earshot can ask Siri to read your text messages from your phone. Here’s how to disable that feature.

NASA's $1B Tower

NASA's $1B Tower Is Leaning

Agency says SLS launcher remains 'structurally sound' but it may send off only one mission

By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff

(NEWSER) – Since 2011, NASA has been upgrading a mobile launcher originally built for the Ares I vehicle to fit its massive Space Launch System rocket. The project is well over budget—when all is said and done, the revamp of the $234 million tower is expected to cost an additional $678 million, per Ars Technica—but that might not be its only issue. As NASASpaceFlight.com reports, the 355-foot-high launch tower is now "leaning," possibly due to the recent addition of connecting arms. NASA acknowledges "some deflection and imperfections" but says the launcher is "structurally sound" and does not need any design modifications.

"While NASA seems to believe this lean is not enough to require additional construction, it will likely mean that the Mobile Launcher won’t be used for more than one or two launches," writes Avery Thompson at Popular Mechanics. That's partly because the tower would need yet another upgrade after its initial launch anyway—to accommodate larger payloads—and it might well be faster and cheaper in the long run to build a second one. NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has recommended doing just that for $300 High in the sky, and high in price.                                    million. The maiden launch is expected to take
 (AP Photo/John Raoux)                                                                   place in 2020.

Entertainment News

Great find! NCIS casts star of American Pickers

LYNETTE RICE 

NCIS just cast an “American” treasure.

EW has learned exclusively that Mike Wolfe of History’s American Pickers will play himself in a March episode. He’ll come to the rescue of Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Ducky (David McCallum), both of whom are busy watching Wolfe on TV when they see him handling a 200-year-old war stick that could be a match from a decade-old cold case.

Gibbs tracks down Wolfe, who (natch!) bought the stick from from some seller. And voila! The case is re-opened.

The episode will air March 13.

For those who aren’t familiar with American Pickers (and could you not be?), the History show follows antique collector or “picker” Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they comb the countryside for precious items to keep or re-sell. The show’s been on since 2010 and was created by Wolfe. It airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.

NCIS, by the way, airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

ETOPS Planes

Here's What It Means If Your Plane Is Labeled ETOPS

David Crespo/Getty Images

There's a real definition and there's a secret one used among pilots.

JESS MCHUGH 

Pilots and members of the aviation community use a range of shorthand and abbreviations to reference everything from take-off delays to security threats.

Rare Snowfall

Romans Wake Up to Rare Snowfall

Winter storm blankets the city

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

A view of Rome's snow-capped skyline, with the Monument of the Unknown Soldier seen at right, after a snowfall, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018.   (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

(NEWSER) – Romans have awoken to a rare snowfall, after an Arctic storm passing over much of Europe dumped enough snow to force schools to close and public transport to reduce services. Rome's Mediterranean climate and proximity to the sea usually result in mild winters, such that restaurants often keep outdoor seating open even through the coldest months of the year. As a result, the Monday morning snowfall, though not huge in quantity, brought excited young Romans out for a rare snowball fight or walk in the slush, the AP reports. Mayor Virginia Raggi signed an ordinance Sunday evening closing public schools as a precaution, and many private ones followed suit.

Weekend Box Office Results

'Black Panther' Continues Dominance in Second Weekend, Topping $700 Million Worldwide by Brad Brevet Disney and Marvel's Black Panther continued its box office domination this weekend, becoming only the fourth film to ever deliver over $100 million in its second weekend as well as joining Jurassic World as the second fastest film to top $400 million domestically. Meanwhile, the weekend's new wide releases finished mostly as expected with WB's release of New Line's Game Night leading the way with a second place finish while Paramount's Annihilation landed in fourth and Orion's Every Day finished within the top ten.

Olympics - Final Medal Count

This Is the Final Medal Count for Every Country at the 2018 Winter Olympics

By JENNIFER CALFAS 

After 19 days of competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Norway came out on top of the final medal count.

America’s Next Warplane

America’s Next Warplane Could Be African

Africa’s first warplane seeks to enter the Air Force’s OA-X aircraft program.

By Kyle Mizokami

AEROSUD

America’s next warplane could come from a rather unlikely place: Africa. The South African Mwari aircraft, the first warplane entirely designed and developed in Africa, has been rebranded as the Bronco II for the American market and is seeking to join the U.S. Air Force’s ongoing competition to pick a new light attack aircraft.

Little Children

Little Children
Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." – Matthew 19:14

Forgiven to Forgive

Forgiven to Forgive

By Touching Lives 

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

How many people not only carry grudges, but also feel like they have a right to do so? In a study in the Journal of Adult Development, 75% of people surveyed said they believed God has forgiven them for past wrongdoings, but only 52% said they have forgiven others. Only 43% said they have actively sought forgiveness for wrongs they have done.

Help You Need

Trust God for the Help You Need

Trust God for the Help You Need
By Rick Warren

“Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’” (Genesis 32:26 NLT).

Obviously, when God and Jacob entered their wrestling match, God could have overpowered Jacob and ended things instantly. Why did God let the struggle go on?

Mon Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

After Christian fighters captured Jerusalem during the first crusade, pilgrims from all over Western Europe began visiting the Holy Land. Around 1100 A.D. a French knight formed an organization called “The Knights Templar.” Their job was to protect these pilgrims during their visit. When these knights were baptized by the church it was done in a strange way. They would be baptized with their sword, but they wouldn’t take their swords under water with them. Instead, they would hold their swords up out of the water while all the rest of them would be immersed.

It was this way of saying to Jesus, “You can have control of all of me, except this one part. I am all yours, except when I am on the battlefield. All that I have is yours, except this sword.”

I’ve got a feeling that many people today when they get baptized they don’t hold up a sword, but they hold up their wallet. They hold up their laptop. They hold up the title deed to their house. They hold up their 401K. They hold up their pride and their ego.

You must determine the cost of eternal life and that cost is simple. It is complete, absolute, unequivocal, unconditional, total surrender and it is only when you say to Jesus, “I surrender all” that you not only never become the biggest loser, but you really do become the biggest winner.Mon

Personalize FB Messenger’s Chats

How to Personalize Facebook Messenger’s Chats

by Harry Guinness

Facebook Messenger is one of Facebook’s better features. You might not realize that you can customize the nicknames, colors, and the “Like” emoji of any of your Facebook Messenger Chats.

This might seem like a bit of a gimmick, but it’s actually really useful if you’ve got a few different group chats going, or want to make sure you can’t accidentally message the wrong person. Here’s how to do it.

Use/Customize W10 Action Center

How to Use and Customize the Windows 10 Action Center

by Walter Glenn 

With the Action Center, Windows 10 finally provides a central place for notifications and quick actions to live. Here’s how to use and customize it.

For the longest time, notifications in Windows have been something of a joke. Even in Windows 8, which finally provided toast notifications that could pop up and then expire, there was no way to see expired notifications you might have missed. Windows 10 fixes this with the Action Center, a slide out pane that groups and displays notifications, and also provides access to quick actions like Wi-Fi, Quiet Hours, and Night Light.

The Action Center is pretty straightforward to use, and it’s also fairly customizable.

Wireless Fast Charger Review

Aukey 10W Wireless Fast Charger Review: A Speedy and Stylish Qi Charger

Jason Fitzpatrick | @jasonfitzpatric | 

If you’re shopping for a wireless charger for your smartphone you’ve likely discovered that your options are almost entirely black with a spattering of white and little in between. Aukey’s speedy 10W fast charger is a nice departure from monochrome accessories.

Uber Express Pool

Uber Express Pool offers the cheapest fares yet in exchange for a little walking

Uber’s first new product in three years

By Andrew J. Hawkins@andyjayhawk  

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

UberPool has long occupied a weird place in the ride-hailing company’s lineup of services. Riders love it because its so cheap, but drivers hate it because of the stress of ferrying multiple passengers to a variety of destinations. And the company’s executives are torn between the belief that UberPool best personifies their long-term mission of reducing the number of vehicles on the road and the millions of dollars in subsidies they need to spend in order to keep it running.

Peanut Allergy Treatment

Peanut allergy treatment succeeds in study

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Some people have life-threatening reactions if exposed to peanuts. (Patrick Sison / Associated Press)

The first treatment to help prevent serious allergic reactions to peanuts may be on the way. A California company said Tuesday that its daily capsules of peanut flour helped children build tolerance to the nuts in a major study.

28-Year-Old Single Dad of 16

28-Year-Old Single Dad of 16 Close to Getting All His Kids

Thai court awards Mitsutoki Shigeta sole parental rights

By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff

In this Aug. 12, 2014, file photo, the media attend a press briefing where Thai police display projected pictures of surrogate babies born to a Japanese man. 
(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

(NEWSER) – The son of a Japanese IT billionaire reportedly wanted a big family and set out to get it via surrogate. Now, Mitsutoki Shigeta, 28, is about to gain custody of all 16 kids he is known to have fathered via Thai surrogate mothers. The BBC explains Shigeta grabbed headlines in 2014 when his Bangkok apartment was raided, turning up a "baby factory"—nine babies, a pregnant surrogate, and 24-hour nannies—over fears of a human trafficking operation. The truth, argued his lawyer, was just that Shigeta wanted plenty of kids and had the means to do so (the AP reports he earns at least $3 million a year via stock holdings); and so they sued for custody. A Thai court on Tuesday agreed with that premise, after hearing from Thai officials who traveled abroad to verify he had sufficient resources to raise the 13 children in the country's custody.

Shigeta secured custody of the three other kids in 2015, and media reports say it's possible he has fathered even more children in other locations. (The AFP suggests there are at least 19 kids.) He reportedly bought land next to a Tokyo park on which to raise them and has opened trust funds for them. "For the happiness and opportunities which the 13 children will receive from their biological father, who does not have a history of bad behavior, the court rules that all 13 born from surrogacy to be legal children of the plaintiff," read a court statement. The BBC notes the Thai surrogates gave up any rights to the children. The children, most around age 4, will not immediately enter his custody but will be transferred gradually out of foster care. Shigeta's case helped prompt a 2015 law that bars foreigners from paying for Thai surrogates.

Impossible to Capsize

This Boat is Impossible to Capsize

The Thunder Child can right itself even in the harshest storms.

By Sophie Weiner

FRANKWILDCAT

The Thunder Child is a high speed, wave-piercing boat that's built to be uncapsizable. The boat was designed by Safehaven Marine for use by Navy, law enforcement, and other groups who sail in high-pressure situations. The boat can fit 10 crew members on board and has a sleeping cabin. It's built to absorb shocks from rough seas.

But by far the most impressive thing about the Thunder Child is its ability to right itself even if it is completely capsized. The video below explains how.

There are a few factors that allow this boat to sail through any conditions without permanently capsizing. First, it has a very low center of gravity. Second, the cabin itself is watertight, so if the boat does flip over, water won't rush in. And lastly, the cabin is built to be extremely buoyant, so if the boat does end up upside down, it will naturally right itself. In the video, a crane pulls the boat 180 degrees and allows it to self-right. This is pretty exciting to watch along with the people inside the boat--you can't help but hold your breath and hope it really does what it's supposed to do. It does right itself, easily.

Source: frankwildcat via Digg

Entertainment News

Spoiler Room: Scoop on Jessica Jones, The Blacklist, Timeless, and more

 
David Giesbrecht/Netflix; Will Hart/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Sergei Bachlakov/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

NATALIE ABRAMS

Want scoop on your favorite shows? Then come hang out in the Spoiler Room, where I attempt to satiate your need to find out what’s coming up on TV. If you want spoilers on a specific show, send Qs to my Twitter: @NatalieAbrams.

Olympics Final Night Recap

What you missed in PyeongChang last night: Competition concludes

By: Stephanie De Lancey

The final night of competition concludes with the men's gold medal match in hockey and the figure skating gala.

Three Little Words

Three Little Words

By Touching Lives

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

“Father, forgive them…” Those were Jesus’ words on the cross. Now be honest…if someone had just pressed a crown of sharp thorns on your head, stripped you naked, brutally punched and beaten you senseless, driven nails into your hands and feet, lifted you up on a cross to die, spit on you, mocked you, and gambled for your clothes, would you honestly be praying that kind of prayer? Is that kind of forgiveness even possible for people like you and me? We tend to get angry when someone cuts us off on the Freeway or pulls out in front of us in traffic. In those situations, I don’t hear myself saying, “Father, forgive them.”

What is more incredible is that Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels to His defense. I would have said, “Sic’ em, Gabriel!” But instead, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.” The verb “forgive” is in the present tense, which in the Greek language means it is happening continuously. Jesus was seeking continual forgiveness for His killers…continuous grace and mercy for His enemies. Jesus was absolutely full of forgiveness.

If anyone ever had a reason and a right not to forgive, it was Jesus. It wasn’t just that He was innocent of a particular accusation; He was innocent of any accusation. He never wronged anybody. So we have the One who needed no forgiveness offering it to those who had no right to be forgiven. Jesus’ words on the cross teach us this truth: God meets guilt with grace.

It wasn’t just the Roman soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross. It was my sins and your sins that nailed Him to the cross. When He said, “Father, forgive them,” we must remember to put the word, “me,” in there as well. It wasn’t just “them” that needed forgiveness. It is “me” that needs forgiveness also.

Is there someone that has wronged you that you would rather die than to forgive? Is there someone who is totally unworthy and undeserving of your forgiveness? If so, remember what we learn from Jesus’ example: We can forgive those who don’t deserve it. Remember that Jesus forgave you when you didn’t deserve it. “Father, forgive them.” These three words are some of the most powerful words anyone can ever say. When is the last time you spoke them?

Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Culture Editor

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. – Matthew 4:1-2

I once heard a story of a woman who lost her only daughter in a tragic accident. After the funeral she fell into deep despair, and many of her friends began to worry about her safety. In desperation, one of them asked their local priest if he would go to her house and speak with her, but the moment the woman saw him she flew into a rage.

Reach Your Goals

The Three Things You Need to Reach Your Goals

The Three Things You Need to Reach Your Goals
By Rick Warren

“We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it” (Proverbs 16:9 The Message).

Proverbs 16:9 says, “We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it” (The Message).

Sun Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

The very first word in our job description is the engine that drives everything else. That little word “go” makes or breaks any church and makes or breaks any follower of Jesus when it comes to fulfilling our job description.

Are you ready for this? If you are a follower of Jesus, your primary responsibility is not to come to church. Your primary responsibility is to go into your community, into your neighborhood, into your workplace and invite those who don’t come to church to come to church, to invite those who are not followers of Jesus to become followers of Jesus, to invite those who have never heard the Gospel to at least listen to the Gospel.

Do you know what that means? That means the church exists primarily for people who don’t come. Our number one job is not just to try to get them to come, but it is to get them to come and have such a wonderfully positive, uplifting, experience they want to come back.

“Do what you do so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” If Walt Disney believed they ought to put that much effort into getting people to make a return visit to see Mickey Mouse, how much more should we make sure that every Sunday we do everything we can to make sure that people want to come back and hear about Jesus?

Newest Lucky Charm

Meet the Newest Lucky Charms Addition: A Unicorn Marshmallow

by JESS COHEN | 

Lucky Charms has introduced its newest marshmallow, a magical unicorn!

Theme Parks Raising Prices

Theme Parks Are All Raising Their Prices — Here’s How Much You Can Expect to Pay This Year

Tommaso Boddi/WireImage

CARLYE WISEL 

The season of theme park price hikes is upon us, and now that Harry Potter magic, Minions mayhem, and Hollywood movie action is going to cost a bit more.

Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort have both increased ticket prices at the California and Florida theme parks, joining Disneyland and Walt Disney World as resorts whose admission can now be expected to increase annually.

4K TV Shopping

Four Must Have Features to Look for When 4K TV Shopping

Eric Ravenscraft | @lordravenscraft 

The era of 4K is finally upon us. No matter your budget, you can find a decent 4K set that will look better than your previous HD television. However, there have been more improvements since the last time you went TV shopping than just adding more pixels. These are the four features you should look for to get the best picture possible.

Most Dangerous Countries

The Most Dangerous Countries in the World for U.S. Travelers

Patrick Poendl/Getty Images

It's still possible to have a safe trip, but smart travelers should educate themselves.

CAILEY RIZZO 

Even the most adventurous traveler is generally not prepared to gamble with their life while on vacation — but that doesn’t mean that it’s necessary to avoid places some people may consider dangerous.

Ban Circumcision

Iceland Poised to Ban Circumcision of Boys

Children's rights trump religious rights, advocates say

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

A man in Fairfax, Calif., holds up a sign against circumcision as state Assemblyman Mike Gatto of Los Angeles speaks outside a medical clinic during a news conference in San Francisco.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

(NEWSER) – The world's oldest parliament will soon be debating Europe's first ban on circumcising male children for non-medical reasons—a tradition campaigners call "male genital mutilation." The bill before Iceland's parliament proposes a six-year prison sentence for anybody removing part or all of a child's sexual organs, the BBC reports. Supporters say circumcising young boys violates their rights, while opponents—including Jewish and Muslim leaders, as well as Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the Catholic Church in the European Union—argue that it violates the religious freedom of the country's small Muslim and Jewish communities, believed to number around 1,500 and 250 people, respectively. The religious leaders say the ban could make Jews and Muslims feel "unwelcome" in Iceland.

The bill—which says boys shouldn't be circumcised for religious or cultural reasons until they're old enough to decide for themselves—was proposed by Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir of the Progressive Party, the Guardian reports. She says she decided to introduce the bill after realizing the country had banned female genital mutilation without addressing male circumcision. "If we have laws banning circumcision for girls, then we should do so for boys," she says. "We are talking about children's rights, not about freedom of belief. Everyone has the right to believe in what they want, but the rights of children come above the right to belief." Danish doctors recommended in 2016 that nobody under 18 be circumcised, but the country stopped short of a ban.

Sales Tax for Online Purchases

Trump Wants Sales Tax Applied to Online Purchases, Mnuchin Says

By Toluse Olorunnipa

• Bill pending to allow states to collect tax on internet sales
• Supreme Court 1992 ruling exempted out-of-state retailers

President Donald Trump “feels strongly” that the U.S. should permit collection of state and local sales taxes on purchases made over the internet, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday.

Google’s Ad Blocker

Why Ad Companies Love Google’s Ad Blocker, But Hate Apple’s Privacy Features

by Justin Pot

On February 15, Google Chrome will start blocking ads on intrusive sites, and mainstream ad companies aren’t particularly upset about it. In fact, they helped Google make this happen.

But you know what ad companies are upset about? Apple changing Safari to block unwanted tracking. Seriously: ad companies are furious. An open letter called the privacy feature “sabotage,” and Criteo, an ad firm that heavily tracks users, claimed the feature will cost them hundreds of millions annually.

Russia Sends Best to Syria

Russia Just Sent Its Best Fighter Plane to Syria

The Su-57 could soon encounter its rival, the F-22 Raptor, over the Middle East.

By Kyle Mizokami

 GETTY IMAGESSERGEI BOBYLEV

Moscow sent two of its most advanced fighter jets to Syria yesterday. The Su-57s flew into Khmeimim air base yesterday, representing a major escalation of Russian air power in the region. The deployment is a chance to test the jet in real-world conditions, but Russia risks losing the aircraft to guerrilla warfare—particularly drone attacks.

Olympics - Curling Gold?

What you missed in PyeongChang last night: Miracle on (curling) ice

By: Stephanie De Lancey

Ester Ledecka made history, becoming the first woman to win a gold medal in two different sports at the same Winter Games. 

Kind of Goal

What Kind of Goal Does God Bless?

What Kind of Goal Does God Bless?
By Rick Warren

“When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 CEV).

Not every goal that you can set is a good goal or one that God’s going to bless.

So how do you know the kind of goal that God will bless? Ask yourself these questions:

“Will my goal honor God?”

What kind of goal brings glory to God? Any goal that causes you to trust him more, to depend on him more, to love him more, to love other people more, to serve God, to serve others, to be more unselfish.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God” (CEV). Everything can be done to honor God. You can take out the garbage to honor God. You can wash dishes to honor God. You can study for a test to honor God. How? By doing it with the right motive: gratitude. You want your life to bring honor to God, so your goals should help you be the best you can be for God’s glory.

“Is my goal motivated by love?”

God is not going to bless a goal motivated by greed, envy, guilt, fear, or pride. But he does honor a goal that is motivated by a desire to demonstrate love to him and to others, because life is all about learning how to love.

Why is it important to have goals that are based on love? Because if you set loveless goals, you’re going to treat people as projects. You’re going to run all over them to get to your goal. You’re going to run over your marriage, your friends, and other people as you climb up the ladder of success. God says, “No. You’ve got it all wrong. It’s not about accomplishments. It’s about relationships. It’s about learning how to love.”

“Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14 NIV). The number one goal in your life should be to learn to really love — your family, neighbors, unlovely people, and those who are hard to love. That makes you more like God, because God is love.

Faith and Vision

Starved for Faith and Vision

Starved for Faith and Vision
by John UpChurch, Crosswalk.com Contributor

"Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: 'The days go by and every vision comes to nothing'? Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.' Say to them, 'The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled.” Ezekiel 12:22-23