April 23, 2010Read: Luke 8

"The disciples went and woke him saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown.' He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided and all was calm." --Luke 8:24

I wonder if the disciples were the ones who coined the phrase, "We're in the same boat." I'm curious because theirs wasn't the only ship on the raging sea that night. All the other vessels battled the same wind and the same waves, but the difference was the boat's manifest. So maybe it was an epiphany. Amidst the crushing waves, "Hey, wait a minute, we're in the same boat as God!" Or maybe it was disbelief at the storms audacity. "Surely the storm should spare us since we're in the same boat with the Lord."

Either way, without Him the disciples stood no chance with no other choice. So they woke the only one who could put the sea to sleep. Which makes me think, maybe it was Jesus who first said it. When the sun peaked through the clouds and began warming faces on a glassy sea, maybe Jesus said, "Don't be afraid. I wouldn't let anything happen to you. We're in the same boat."

--J.P.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Is drinking diet drinks a smart idea? First of all, I'm of the mindset that diet drinks are so full of all things artificial that they'll do as much harm as good ol' sugar, if not more. Secondly, diet drinks tend to give a false sense of hope. Recent studies have shown that people who drink diet sodas have a higher occurrence of being overweight compared to those who don't drink them. One of the reasons they state is that when people drink diet soda, they feel it gives them license to eat poorly in other areas and times during the day. Drink them if you must but next time you're thirsty, you might want to reach for some H2O instead!