June 18, 2010Read: 2 Corinthians 5

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come." --2 Corinthians 5:17

Last year, I had the privilege of spending a week on the set of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. When it aired a couple weeks ago, I remembered the feeling I had when that family first answered the knock at the door, then came back a week later to a brand new house. Talk about gut-wrenching! Someone they never expected came into their world and freely gave them something they couldn't afford on their own. He saw where they lived and said you don't have to live here anymore.

As I stood and watched the process, I couldn't help but think of Jesus. Just like we did for that family, He knocks gently, anxiously awaiting our answer. But rather than calling for a wrecking ball, He does the unthinkable: He moves in. Instead of a hammer, He carries a suitcase. He gives us something we could never afford on our own--Himself--saying we don't have to live here anymore, alone.

--J.P.

DID YOU KNOW? Sodium, because of its connection to blood pressure, has been given a bad rap and people have started to think twice about salting their food. According to renowned exercise physiologist, Dr. Jim Stoppani, the Institute of Medicine states that people should be cautious in consuming more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. This warning is especially true for those individuals who are salt sensitive or have a history of heart disease. However, a review published in the American Journal of Medicine found that people who consumed less than the IOM's recommended 2,300 mg of sodium per day actually had a 37% increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease than those who ingested more. Hmm, please pass the salt.

Originally posted 3/1/2010.