Hello, my friend!

I hope you and your family are doing well in body, soul and spirit.

I don’t know about you, but I feel as though there is a very real, albeit invisible, war being waged against our sense of peace these days – our sense of peace as individuals, as families and communities, as states and nations…as the whole world, in fact.

Jesus’ prophecy given in Matthew 24 hits all too close to home. There are wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, food shortages, earthquakes and other natural disasters… People are being divided – purposely if you ask me – by race, sexual orientation, political affiliation, personal health philosophies, you name it, in an effort to intensify a toxic atmosphere of hatred, fear, violence, and distrust.

If you feel yourself feeling and/or acting more anxious and afraid lately, you’re not alone. Those emotions are only natural in light of the volatile state of the planet. But we don’t have to let them overtake us.

Despite the plethora of problems we’re all facing, despite the uncertainty, the dishonesty, the very real evil working to establish full-blown anarchy and tyranny, we can have peace knowing that the One who foresaw these things 2,000 years ago is the One who has offered us eternal life, a life free of the terrors and trials we now experience in fragile human flesh.

If you haven’t accepted Christ’s offer, which is done simply by making a heartfelt confession of your sins and your need for His all-sufficient forgiveness, I sincerely ask, what is stopping you?

I have never been more convinced that we are witnessing the last minutes of the last days before all hell literally breaks loose on this earth under the antichrist’s rule, and therefore I feel a palpable urgency, a soul-deep passion, to share the Good News of Jesus with as many as I can.

Former things that used to drive me each day, like writing 1,000 words, editing a new manuscript, querying agents, marketing my novels, reaching new personal bests at the gym, etc. now feel astonishingly unimportant. Why? Because none of those things will follow me into eternity. Things don’t last; people do, and our relationships with them.

So while I’m still pursuing my “worldly” goals, my main mission, as it always should have been, is to commit my gifts, my cares, my time to God, and let Him use me as He chooses before time runs out – my time personally or the time we have left collectively in this temporary age of Grace.[1]

My friend, it may be tempting to see what’s happening around us and label it all “doom and gloom,” but that’s exactly why we are exhorted in the Scriptures to endure, persevere, and keep shining our lights for the world to see. This life is just a mist, the book of James tells us, “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). What awaits God’s children in eternity is glorious beyond comprehension, and our current struggles, if we remember them at all, will seem impossibly dim and distant, like the foggy fragments of a dream. I imagine that opening our eyes in heaven for the first time will feel like waking up from a deep and restless slumber.

Do you believe in an afterlife? What do you think heaven will be like, and what about it are you most looking forward to? For me, I’m most looking forward to meeting Jesus face to face, hugging Him and worshipping Him, and thanking Him for paying the wages of my sin.[2]

And now for a not-so elegant segue to Section II, here comes a section I’m calling Quote Soup. It consists of half a dozen quotes I’ve collected over the past few weeks and think you may find intriguing and/or helpful too!

Mindset:

1. “It’s easy to confuse a lot of activity with a purposeful life. Do what lasts; let the rest fall away.” – Bob Goff
2. “Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.” – Cal Newport
3. “How am I spending my focus currency today? Do not allow gatekeepers of the world to appraise your value in their definitions which are rooted in demonism, suppression of knowledge, censorship, and tyranny.” – Mike Adams

Health:

4. “Some of the best things to boost your immune system are exercise, sleep, sunshine + being with people you love.” – Dr. Nicole Huffman
5. “Humans weren’t made in the modern era. Our bodies are designed for something in a long time past.

“The closer we get to nature, the healthier we get, usually. The further we get from nature, the closer we get to dis-ease. It’s very straightforward. This principle does not always apply, but it is a helpful one to generally live by.

“As we see a rise in artificial intelligence and technology, we must be careful to balance it with valuing health, nature, humanity, physical connection, and not losing touch with who we have been for millennia. Doing so could be disastrous. It’s the current path of medicine. Medicine is the #1 saver of lives, but also is the #3 killer in America.

“We’ve got some work to do. Start with you. Consider your health and being a role model for others. You’re worth it.” – Dr. Bradley Campbell

6. Did you know that placing ice at the base of your skull for 10-15 minutes (every other day or so) helps increase vitality and improve mood? According to Chinese Medicine, this practice also removes headaches and migraines, strengthens the immune system, regulates the digestive system, and helps us sleep better. Give it a try and report back!

BONUS! (Literature)

“How do we know our grandchildren won’t idolize Von Hindenburg the same way?”
“What brings it about?”
“Time, damn it, and the historian. If we could only learn to look on evil as evil, whether it’s clothed in filth or monotony or magnificence.”
“God! Haven’t we raked the universe over the coals for four years?” – From This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of my all-time favorite writers

Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed it! Have a blessed rest of your day!