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The U.S., Israel, and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

Last night, President Trump said the U.S. has received a “workable” 10-point proposal from Iran (read it) that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending all conflicts in the region, and lifting sanctions on Iran.

The Pakistan-brokered breakthrough came after Trump warned Iran’s “whole civilization will die” if the Strait was not reopened by 8 p.m. ET yesterday—sparking criticism from U.N. Chief Guterres, Congressional Democrats, Pope Leo, and others. Iran’s president initially rejected the ultimatum, and reportedly requested “all young people” make human chains around power plants and other critical infrastructure. A deal was reached minutes before the deadline.

Oil futures quickly dropped 15% to below $100/barrel, and the S&P 500 futures jumped 2%.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
War brings destruction to everything it touches—lands, people, governments, and economies—but our God is the Great Restorer. As we look forward to God making everything new one day, pray that the world would experience a taste of that restoration today and glorify the Messiah Jesus. 

“On this mountain… [the LORD of Armies will swallow] up death once and for all. The LORD GOD will wipe away the tears... On that day it will be said, ‘Look, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he has saved us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him. Let’s rejoice and be glad in his salvation.’” 
Isaiah 25:7–9 (CSB) (read full passage)

Artemis II astronauts have ventured farther into the final frontier than anyone in history… and have the pics to prove it.

On Monday, the lunar crew reached 252,760 miles from the third rock from the sun—breaking Apollo 13’s 1970 record for farthest rocket trip—as they successfully circumnavigated the moon. Integrity spent seven hours circling the Big Cheese (and expectedly lost contact with mission control for ~40 minutes).

After waking up to Mandisa and TobyMac’s “Good Morning,” the crew—the first to lay eyes on the entire far side of the moon—captured photos of never-before-seen features of the lunar surface (see out-of-this-world pics). One new discovery, Carroll’s Crater, was affectionately named after Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife (see the emotional moment). 

Now, Artemis is earthbound; the crew’s expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego Friday evening.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
No matter our perspective on space travel, the thought of soaring in a rocket over 250,000 miles from earth is sure to make us feel small. Thankfully, we worship the God who created even the farthest corners of the universe, reigns over all of it, and will one day make it new. 

“For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together… For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” 
Colossians 1:16-17, 19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)

Want to queue up some intragalactic encouragement? 55 years ago, Charlie Duke walked on the moon. Listen to him and his wife, Dotty, share their testimony of faith that followed in this podcast.

Spring is a good time to step back and get realigned… and it should include your finances. CCCU and AdelFi have merged to form the largest Christian banking institution in the nation, bringing together two trusted names to help members steward their money for God’s glory.

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Michigan and UCLA are the kings and queens of college basketball.

The boys from Ann Arbor cut the nets after beating UConn 69-63 Monday, capping a remarkable turnaround under second-year head coach Dusty May. The Wolverines stood (very) tall all year—but their “shortest” player, Elliot Cadeau (6’1”), was named Most Outstanding Player after dropping 19 points to earn a maize-and-blue confetti shower (watch this year’s “One Shining Moment”).

Topping the women’s bracket, the UCLA Bruins put a bruisin' on South Carolina 79-51 Sunday, claiming their first women’s championship thanks to five double-digit scorers.   

Off the court, President Trump signed an executive order Friday aiming to ease college transfer portal and pay-for-play pressures by limiting transfers and eligibility windows while also protecting women's and non-revenue sports from being benched by big-money programs like football and basketball.

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Verse to consider whether you're mourning the end of college basketball, excited for a new opportunity, or waiting with hope… "There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot… a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (CSB) (read full passage)

Want more Christian perspective on March Madness for dinner-table talk? For a kid-friendly news summary plus biblical reflection and response, sign up here for Decaf: The Pour Over for Families.

Both airmen from a U.S. jet downed in Iran Friday have been rescued. Seven hours after ejecting, the pilot was rescued. The other airman spent nearly 48 hours hiding in a mountain crevice with Iranian forces closing in before being rescued Sunday in what President Trump called a “miracle” operation involving 155 aircraft, Delta Force, SEAL Team Six, and the CIA.

SCOTUS just handed Steve Bannon a courtroom W. On Monday, the Supreme Court tossed an appeals court ruling that upheld the former Trump aide’s conviction for refusing to testify before Congress regarding Jan. 6, 2021. The decision—largely symbolic, since Bannon has already served his four-month sentence—sends the contempt conviction back to lower courts, where it is expected to be dismissed.

Savannah Guthrie returned to the “Today” anchor desk Monday—65 days after her mother vanished. Guthrie opened the show wearing yellow, echoing ribbons tied outside her mother’s home. She stayed composed during the 7 a.m. broadcast, acknowledging “it’s good to be home.” After the broadcast, she joined fans in the show’s plaza for an emotional welcome back (watch here).

OpenAI pitched a New Dealish vision for the intelligence age Monday. The 13-page proposal (see here) envisions a future economy in which AI "superintelligence benefits everyone," a public wealth fund (all American citizens benefit from AI gains), a robot tax (automated labor is taxed similarly to the human income it replaces), and a four-day work week (one less than five).

The U.K.’s Wireless Festival is pullin’ the plug. The summer music event was canceled (cancelled, innit?) yesterday—hours after its presale opened—when its headliner, Kanye “Ye” West, was blocked from traveling to the country over repeated antisemitic comments. Wireless Festival issued a statement following the cancellation, saying “antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent,” and promising to refund concertgoers.

This street art made us smile...

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What's going on in the Middle East can seem far away and distant. But there’s something I can do right now for Christians caught up in the conflict: pray. With this newsletter, I hear specific prayer needs of persecuted believers facing hardships I could never imagine.

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If you’ve always wanted to think more deeply about Heaven but get stuck on angels floating on clouds, this resource is for you. 

Billy Graham’s classic sermon booklet “Five Answers on Heaven” takes a deep dive into your most-asked questions about our eternal home as believers. In a world where pain and suffering are everywhere, this resource will remind you of what the Bible says and how Christians can discover lasting hope and peace. 

Heaven can be one of the hardest and most beautiful topics to understand. Start making sense of it today with this free resource from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.