Category: Christian Living

  • Coffee and Pizza

    God hardwired us all to be different

    mug of coffee and slice of pizza

    One of my favorite breakfasts is a cup of coffee and a slice of pizza. The pizza must be leftover from the night before and eaten cold from the refrigerator, and the coffee must be fresh and hot. 

    Pizza is one of those foods that is good the night before and great cold the following day. It’s probably not the healthiest breakfast in the world, but what can I say?

    There are scientific reasons some foods are better the next day. One source says, “The breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars can intensify sweetness, while proteins and fats break down into savory amino acids and fatty acids, enriching umami flavors. Cooling and reheating also play a role, as they can alter the texture of the food, making it more tender and palatable.”

    Some of you think my breakfast choice is “gross,” while others think it sounds like a good breakfast. You see, God doesn’t create us all alike. Each one of us is an individual, and while we might have similar likes and dislikes or similar backgrounds, no two of us are exactly alike.

    It’s like snowflakes or fingerprints. Out of all the billions of people who have been born or all the innumerable who will come, no one is exactly like you or me.

    God’s fine hand of craftsmanship created each of us for a different purpose. He’s given all of us a special purpose in life, a unique ministry, a contribution to be made for all eternity. None of us are here by accident. None of us is without a divine purpose.

    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV

    Think about what a blessing that is. God made YOU unique because He has something that only YOU can do in mind. That means every person, young or old, rich or poor, Christian or non, has value beyond measure.

    It’s ironic that we go to great lengths and travel vast distances to see the world’s treasures and wonders when the real treasures are all around us. 

    The person you love is a treasure in God’s eyes. The person at work who makes you crazy has value beyond measure. The street person, the criminal, the person who you disdain because of their lifestyle or skin color, all are valuable in God’s eyes. 

    When you look down on or mistreat them, you look down and mistreat the wonders of God.

    Until next time, I pray God gives you the eyes to see how unique and wonderful you are and how valuable ALL the people around you are in His sight (even those who like coffee and cold pizza for breakfast).

    Kevin

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  • A Mist- Our lives pass quickly

    Mist on Eagle Mountain, Abbotsford BC

    One of the fantastic things about living in the Fraser  Valley, so close to the coast, is the mist. Mists come and go, never the same from moment to moment or day to day.

    They can conceal part of the landscape, only to open up or move on, leaving it again. Late Saturday morning, I snapped today’s image with my phone.

    A layer of foggy mist covers most of the hill. The cell phone tower reminds me of a castle turret atop an island floating in the clouds, with nearby treetops appearing like more little islands.

    A few moments later, it was all concealed from my view. Several minutes passed, and the entirety of the hill was visible again. It was as if the clouds were causing the scenery to play peek-a-boo with us.

    Our lives have a lot in common with the mist. Our life may seem long in comparison to the entirety of time. It’s just a little blip on the radar. Our sixty, seventy, eighty, or more years color and shape things briefly, and then we’re gone, and things change.

    It is by relatively few for a short season if we are remembered at all when we’re gone. People go to great lengths to ensure their legacies, endowing schools and libraries, buying stadiums, and more. Sooner or later, someone replaces them, and even that legacy disappears into the mist of time.

    Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. Psalm 144:4 ESV

    For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow. Job 8:9 ESV

    For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 1 Chronicles 29:15 ESV

    I’m not writing to depress you about the shortness of life. Instead, I want to remind you what a precious gift each and every moment is. Life, like a mist passes quickly

    Every breath we take is a gift from God. For believers, it is an opportunity to magnify the Lord and prepare for the blissful eternity of glory. For non-believers, this life is the closest they will ever come to paradise. Unless they turn to Christ before their passing, their eternity will make the worst days of their lives seem wonderful.

    Cherish each moment. It truly is a gift for the believer. Even our hard times strengthen and shape us to be more like Jesus. A faith that has not been tested is only a wish.

    I don’t know the specifics of what your day will bring. You might be on the mountaintop of joy and wonder, deep in the valley of pain and the shadow of death, or most likely somewhere in between.

    If you know Jesus, rejoice because He will use your circumstances for good. If you don’t yet know Him, take the time today to surrender and be reconciled to God.

    Whatever the day brings, know that God loves you and desires you to spend forever in Paradise with Him.

    Kevin

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