Heartbeat

What do you love? What’s something that you’d pay anything to experience? A concert? A car? A sporting event? And have you ever been in a place where the enthusiasm is just so contagious that you can’t help but join in? Whether you realize it or not, this is worship. Whatever it is that you pour yourself into and place the highest possible amount of value on is the object that you worship. You wer...

Has something good happened to you recently? Have you taken the time to tell someone about it? Or. Are you experiencing some difficulties in your life? Have you been brave enough to share them with a close friend? No matter what you’re going through- the good and the bad, it’s important to have people in our lives we can share with. We humans were designed to be in community with each other. We we...

In Psalm 139 verse 14 the psalmist writes, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” In today’s culture, we’re lead to believe that the way we look dictates our worth.  If we’re not thin enough or muscular enough, or if we don’t look like the person on the cover of a magazine, then we’re not worth much. The truth is we’re created b...

Some people look at faith as a set of religious exercises: attend church, do good deeds, pray, and read the Bible. But that’s not at all God wants for us. He wants a relationship. He’s set on redeeming a fallen world. He gave his life to make that possible, and He’s promised to stay with us forever. When Jesus returned to heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be our helper, comforter, and...

Having a bad day? How about a bad week or a bad month? Whether it’s an uncomfortable paper cut or a car accident, we can always find hope in the middle of our struggles. In the Bible, the Book of Hebrews tells us that if we believe God then we know we have the things we hope for. So take heart. We have a rescuer in God. He cares about all of our concerns, and He understands our trials. So find pea...

In a court of law, the defendant stands before the judge and jury while evidence is brought forward meant to either convict or acquit. Lawyers prepare their cases and make their presentations with the hope that jury will rule in favor of their client. I’m so glad that in life, I have the opportunity to see everything I’ve done wrong acquitted. The Bible tells us that Jesus stood in our place so th...

We’re encouraged to dream as children. Often, we’re asked questions like what we’ll be when we grow up, or who we’ll marry.  However, somewhere in the middle of life, we find it hard to dream because life gets in the way. But God is asking you to resume dreaming, not for wealth or possessions but for the richness of life only He can provide.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for y...

Harvard researchers conducted a study that showed how giving is such a powerful immune booster that it can be experienced just by watching someone else in the act of giving. In this well-known experiment, students who watched a film of Mother Teresa as she tended the sick in Calcutta got an increase in immune function. In the book Healthy Pleasures, psychologists described what they called the “he...

Aromatherapy uses the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, and stems to enhance our psychological and physical well-being. The inhaled aroma from these essential oils is soothing, and is widely believed to stimulate brain function. The Bible says that believers are the aroma of Christ to the people we encounter.  As we produce the fruit of His Spirit, God uses us to enhance the spiritual wel...

I can’t see the wind, but I’m keenly aware that it’s all around me.  I feel a gentle breeze brush against my face or rustle through my hair.  Or I see its massive strength through powerful gusts that become hurricanes or tornadoes. Likewise, I can’t see God the Holy Spirit; but I know that He’s with me.  I can feel His presence all around me. The word for “spirit” in both Hebrew and Greek means “b...

It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Think about some of the more stunning photos that you’ve seen lately. What have those pictures communicated to you? The photographer searches for the perfect shot just so she can speak through her lens. Did you know that God created the earth and all its beauty to try to communicate to us? I’m sure you’ll agree that while a picture of the Gr...

Have you ever said or done something that you regret?  Maybe in the heat of the moment, you’ve lashed out at a co-worker because of something relatively insignificant.  The feelings of guilt that are generated by regret don’t feel good. We long for ways to take back what was said or done. Author Tony Campolo once said that “the past has a way of draining energy from the present.”  What’s been done...

Our sun is just one among more than a billion stars in our galaxy.  One of these stars alone, the Pistol Star, could contain a million stars the size of our sun within its sphere.  And our Milky Way is not even a huge galaxy!  Our neighbor, the Andromeda Spiral, contains about 400 billion stars.  Scientists estimate that there are billions of galaxies, each containing even more stars. Scripture te...

There’s a beautiful image from the Celtic tradition called Thin Places.  A “thin place” is a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is especially thin.  It’s a place where it’s possible to touch and be touched by God; a place where He seems more readily present. This begs the question: Do you have enough Thin Places in your life?  If not, you’re not alone.  Artist Georgia O’Keefe once s...

A sliced carrot looks exactly like the human eye; particularly the pupil, iris, and radiating lines. And science shows that carrots greatly enhance both the blood flow to the eyes and their function. A tomato has four chambers and is red, just like the heart.  Plus, tomatoes are loaded with lycopine, which strengthens the heart. Is this mere coincidence? I don’t think so!  You see, God as our Crea...

The human body is amazing!  It contains sixty trillion cells that have all been carefully organized to perform life’s various functions harmoniously.  The nose can recognize up to 10,000 different aromas.  The tongue has about 6,000 taste buds.  The body has so many blood vessels that their combined length could circle the planet two-and-a-half times. Did you realize that you are such a masterpiec...

Pilots say that when flying, for every degree you fly off course you’ll miss your target landing spot by 92 feet for every mile flown. That amounts to being about one mile off target for every 60 feet you fly. The longer you travel off course, the further you’ll be from the intended target. Being only one degree off can make a critical difference in where you will land! But just as it’s hard to re...

In most sports, there’s some sort of play-off or tournament to determine the overall champion. Even if you’re not a sports fan, it’s hard to ignore the hard work and dedication that it takes to become the champions. Winning in life takes a lot of hard work and dedication as well.  An encouragement found in the Bible tells us to “forget what is behind and press on toward the goal that’s ahead”. Whe...

This past Sunday I saw a little girl raising her hands while we were singing in church.  While she was raising her hands, she was looking around to make sure that everyone else was still raising theirs.  She was imitating her grandparents- and looking for reassurance that she was doing it right. I wonder how many times you and I were so concerned with what everyone else was doing that we missed ou...

Researchers asked a group of people to make a list, once a week for ten weeks, of five things they were thankful for. Other groups in the study wrote different kinds of weekly lists, such as five key events. The “thankful” group felt more happiness, excitement, and joy than the other groups. They even reported better physical health – fewer headaches and coughs.  Paul tells the Colossians in chapt...

Still sleepy, you roll over to check the time. You look at your phone only to realize you never set the alarm! And now it’s 5 minutes before you’re supposed to be at work! Do you know that feeling of defeat as you hurry to make yourself presentable for your already delayed day? In much the same way, people everywhere are missing their “spiritual alarms.”  God is at work all around them, yet they r...

Counterfeiting is a serious problem in our country. It‘s been estimated that American businesses lose more than 250 billion dollars annually because of it. In 2021 the U.S. Customs and Border Protection made more than 13,000 seizures of counterfeit goods. And believe it or not, footwear comprised 40% of those fake items. Thousands of people are walking around in counterfeit shoes! The Bible says t...

In ancient Jerusalem, a Rabbi’s teachings were called his “yoke.”  His people sat under his teaching while quote- “clothing” themselves in his words. In the Bible, in Matthew 11:29 Jesus tells His disciples, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls...

We have 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on our heads, and we spend a great deal of time and money on them.  In fact, in the United States, we spend about $7.5 billion dollars a year on our hair.  We frequent salons for cuts, styles, perms, highlights, and color. We buy blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons. We routinely use shampoos and conditioners, moisturizers and pomades, sprays and gels.  We ob...

If you’re even remotely handy, I’m sure you have a tool drawer if not a proper toolbox in your house. If you’re hanging a picture, you know where to find a hammer. If the hinges to a door are loose, you know where to find a screwdriver. You know right where to look to find the perfect tool for the job. Our relationship with scripture should be like this too. Maybe you’re struggling with a relation...