Chris Howlett

How Much Lead in Your Applesauce?

“Holiness is not the privilege of a chosen few – it is the obligation, the call, and the will of God for every Christian.” – Mother Angelica

How much lead do you like in your applesauce? None, you say? Well, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise if you or your children consumed certain cinnamon-flavored applesauce sold in grocery and dollar stores last year. According to a story in The New York Times, the Food and Drug Administration identified a spice grinder in Ecuador as the likely source of contamination for potentially three million applesauce pouches sold in the United States.

Children in forty-four states ate the tainted sauce. Some of it contained alarmingly high levels of lead. But, even a small amount of lead in applesauce is too much.

How much sin do you think God wants in your life? About as much lead as you want in your kid’s applesauce. Zero. None. Nada. Yet, we often justify sin. We think, “No one is tempted the way I am.” “I’m only human.” “I just can’t help myself.” These are the enemy’s lies.

Everyone faces similar temptations (1 Cor. 10:13); to be human is to be like Jesus (Philippians 2:7); and, God can make you holy (1 Thess. 5:23-24). God wants to fill your life to overflowing with his love and Holy Spirit, leaving no room for sin.

During Lent, examine yourself and invite the Lord to open your heart to the fullness of his grace. Allow him to transform you into the person he created you to be.

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Image by Taken from Pixabay

Changed Circumstances or Changed Heart?

“No amount of regret changes the past, no amount of anxiety changes the future, any amount of grateful joy changes the present.” – Ann Voskamp

There was a mouse who was scared of cats until a wizard changed him into a cat. Then he met a dog, so the wizard transformed him into a dog. The mouse-turned-cat-turned-dog was fine until he encountered a tiger. So, once again, the wizard changed him into a tiger. When the tiger complained about meeting a hunter, the wizard refused to change him again. He said, "I will make you a mouse again, for although you have the body of a tiger, you still have the heart of a mouse!"

When we find ourselves dissatisfied with some aspect of life, we often look externally. We think, "If only my circumstances would change." However, a change in circumstances does not necessarily mean a change of heart. What we often need is a transformed heart. We need a heart filled with gratitude, joy, hope, and faith.

God loves you. He cares about your circumstances, but he may not necessarily want to fix them. What he does want is to fix you. He sent Jesus to change your heart. This week, surrender your circumstances and your heart to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to soften, shape, and make you more like Jesus. In doing so, you can experience the transformation you need to live fully, joyfully, and gratefully in the present.