A Fortune Worth Believing

I really wish fortune cookies would stop flattering me. A fortune I once read stated, "You have an open mind and find it easy to make new friends." I believe one from an urban area might respond with the phrase, "Stop playin’ me!" The next fortune is likely to be a cheap pick-up line such as: “You’re late. I've been waiting for you my entire life." The fortune might also say, "Are you tired? You've been running through my mind all day long." A relationship between a man and a cookie would never work out. Well, I suppose this could explain gingerbread men, E.L. Fudge, and other man-shaped cookies. Could animal crackers be the offspring of similar relationships?
How does one explain to a confection that he or she is already seeing someone? Do the words "Let's be friends" hurt a cookie as much as they hurt a human being? I bet cookies dunk themselves in milk when they get depressed. Maybe I need to start a dating service for cookies. I can set figs up with Newtons and cream up with Oreos. Maybe all together new confections will be born of my efforts! Forgive my food references as I have yet to partake of any food today. A more logical explanation for all this could be that the Chinese would like me to buy more of their food. First, it's MSG and the “being hungry an hour later” theory. Now, it’s coy cookies. Another conspiracy uncovered by Johnny Wriston, super sleuth. I am so having Chinese for lunch.
I believe that all of the positive statements made in scripture regarding Christians are absolutely true. We are not called “children of God” in 1 John 3:1 because God wants to entice us to join him. We are not called “new creations” in 2 Cor. 5:17 to get us to drop a little more cash in the collection plate. We are told that we “may participate in the divine nature” in 2 Pet. 1:4 because God wants to give us false hope. God’s love for us is real. The changes he makes in our lives are real. The rewards promised to us are real.

Artificial Christians

I spend quite a bit of my time attempting to invent modern conveniences to simplify every day life. Wouldn't it be sweet to have a clone or at least a highly sophisticated robot Doppelganger to replace you in some of your more mundane, daily duties? I would merely like him to cover for me at the office a few times each week. Sometimes I listen to myself speaking and I don't sound all that different from the artificial intelligence featured in U-Scans at local grocery stores, ATM machines, or Haley Joel Osment (look up that last reference). It's sad really. It's about as sad as the thought I just had that my favorite Meijer cashiers, "Flock of Seagulls Hair" or "Mullet Master," could one day be replaced by machines. At least California has a governor in office prepared for such a "rise of the machines." You know, I would settle for a robot that could make my bed. Why my parents were always so insistent on such a worthless task I will never know. Perhaps my father knows more than I give him credit for. Perhaps he wants to be presentable when the robot king visits to choose slaves worthy of his glory. Truly my imagination defeats my practicality at times.
Many things that Jesus said support the idea that he requires one’s full attention and support. In a world of quick fixes and short cuts, the Christian life is often expected to be easy. Life brings many hardships regardless of whether one chooses to follow Christ or not. The difference is that a Christian faces these difficulties with armed with the hope of salvation. In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus talks about the costs of following him. One who “looks back” when doing the work of the Lord is not fit to serve him. When a follower of Christ looks ahead, he or she is able to see joy in the future. God and his church support us in all we do. We don’t need robots or artificial intelligence to be the followers God wants us to be.

Are You Hungry?

Millions of people struggle with diets, weight loss, appearance, and body image. Losing weight can be quite difficult and keeping off the weight is even harder. An article I read states that the difficulty doesn’t always come in lack of motivation, discipline, or will power. Often, the problem lies in body chemistry and environment. We have to be aware of how our bodies work before we decide to try various diets. Hunger pangs aren’t the only reason we eat. Lab rats with mostly removed stomachs continue to eat regularly. Chemicals in our brains tell us not only that we need to eat, but also what foods we prefer at certain times. In our environment, certain cues like the smell of freshly baked bread or the amount of food on our plates cause us to eat. The set point theory states that we are predisposed to keep ourselves at a certain weight. If you loose too much weight, out hunger grows while our energy levels drop.
Whether or not you believe various ideas and theories regarding hunger and weight loss, one must admit that hunger is a force that drives us. If hunger didn’t exist in any respect at all, there wouldn’t be the motivation for us to obtain the necessary energy from food in order to live. In Luke 9: 10-17, we read about when Jesus feeds literally thousands of people. Not only did he tell them about the kingdom of God and provide healing, but also Jesus satisfied their hunger. Just as it is natural to hunger for food, it is also natural to hunger for the presence of Jesus in our lives. In John 6:51-58, Jesus calls himself the “living bread”. When we live in Christ, we do more than extend our stay on Earth or fight hunger pangs. In Christ, we have what is necessary to live forever. Without Christ, our lives are empty. We can try to fill them but only Jesus can really gratify us.