Heartbeat

Eating Right

You can eat processed foods, candy, fake food—but not forever without consequences. One of my favorite sayings- “There’s no food in that food” LOL. And especially for kids, there’s no nutrition to help them grow.
The Bible talks about theology that doesn’t help someone grow in Christ. Paul wrote, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, you put up with it readily enough”.
So, don’t accept junk food theology. Dive into His word and know the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reflections

One of the most hopeful and scariest parts of parenting is knowing that your kids will imitate what they see you do. When your kids are sweet and thoughtful toward others around them, it’s rewarding to take credit for your impeccable parenting skills.
We get a little dose of humility, however, when we hear them say something cringeworthy that sounds just like us.
Children imitate what they see. Because we’re God’s children, Paul encourages us to imitate Christ’s love and humility to the world around us. So, when you read the Word of God, watch Jesus’ response in so many difficult situations and go do likewise.

Zacchaeus

All too often, in this fast-paced world, we miss the things that are just out of our focus..
In the Bible, we see Jesus walking into a new city surrounded by a crowd of people. But, He intentionally stops and takes notice of a man named Zacchaeus, who had climbed a tree to get a better view of Him. Jesus looked up and told him to come down because they were going to have a meal together. This one encounter changed the life of this man.
Is there someone on your periphery that you’ve been too busy to notice?  Your attention to them could make all the difference in the world.

Keep Your Flame Alive

If you’ve been to several weddings, I’m sure by now you’ve seen the candle ceremony or something like it. The bride and groom each have a candle of their own as they light a larger one together. The clear symbolism is two people becoming one in the eyes of God.
But an important part of this ceremony is to remember to keep your own candle lit. Because while the couple is coming together in marriage it’s important to not lose who God created you individually to be.
If you’re newly married, or soon will be, remember this illustration. As you figure out what life looks like and who you’ll be as a couple, don’t forget to be yourself. Afterall- that’s the person your future spouse fell in love with in the first place.

Looking Ahead

In the Bible, we find these words written by the Apostle Paul, “…Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.”
Look. Life can be full of hiccups, setbacks, disappointments and mistakes. It’s part of being human. But are you dwelling on past mistakes or are you allowing God to heal, help you learn from them, and continuing the race ahead?
We all have painful memories. But take this message from Paul and learn to look forward to what God has in store for you today.

Trust

The concept of trust is a hard one and rarely celebrated in today’s society. We all hear countless stories of crooked politicians, cheating businesses and CEOs, dishonest spouses, and two-faced friends. It may feel like it’s increasingly harder to place our trust in other people, let alone God.
But if we did decide to take a step of faith and place our trust in Him who is able to do “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine,” our outlook might change a bit.
Loving God and being obedient to Him means placing our faith in Him and trusting Him with the consequences. Because with God even if we lose, we win.

Healing

One of the miracles Jesus performed while walking on the earth was healing a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years.
Jesus arrived at a pool that was known for its “healing waters” and saw this man.  He asked him one question, “Do you want to be made well?”  Then, Jesus simply spoke the words, “Take up your mat and walk.”
This man had to, literally, step out in faith and try to stand up.  He did and realized that he had been healed. Is there somewhere in life that God is asking you to trust Him and step out in faith? Trust that He won’t let you down and take that first step.

Simulation

Long before the movie, The Matrix, came out 20 years ago- people have hypothesized that we are actually living in a simulation. There have been countless articles and posts arguing this strange theory. Philosophers, astronomers, and nuclear physicists have all chimed in. There are even articles titled, “Confirmed- we live in a simulation”.
The interesting thing to me, as a Christian, is it seems like they aren’t far off. If they continue down this rabbit hole, I feel like they will eventually prove to themselves the existence of God.
Simulation? No. But we are His creation. We’ve all been put here for a purpose. And this existence is just part one.
 

Blindspots

Think of the last time- while you were driving- that someone cut you off. If you live in any big city, I’m sure this is an easy ask.
You’re driving in your lane, minding your own business when someone comes inches from your car as if you didn’t exist or matter! But guess what- I’m sure we’ve all done this to someone else because every car has blindspots.
This is true in life too. We have blindspots. Places in our life where we still need to grow, understand, and show empathy. Surround yourself with friends that hold different perspectives on life, who love you enough to point out your blindspots.
 

Eternal Life

The fear of death and the desire for immortality is very real. Alcor is a company that basically markets resurrection. For over $200,000, you can pay to have your body frozen, with the hope that in the future, the technology will exist to bring you back to life.
Look, even Christians have every right to be at least a little afraid of dying. It’s why we make healthy decisions to live as long and healthy of a life in this body as possible. But if you’ve accepted Christ, know that He defeated death and unlocked the door to our eternity.
If you’re feeling anxious about what’s on the other side of this- reach out to God and ask for His peace. He left Heaven to come get us. So when we take our last breaths on this earth- He promises we’ll take our first in His presence.