My site is for uplifting and encouraging those that need spiritual advice and guidance.
Author: Shaunelius Sterns
I have been married to my wonderful husband for 21 years now. I am a Christian, poet, singer, songwriter, and artist. I have five beautiful children. I enjoy writing and reading my Bible. I also love to pray for others. I love nature and being outside on sunny days. I love spending time with my family and watching shows that makes me laugh.
I will be creating content on food education. I will be discussing many subjects about this topic. Later, I will be creating a Zoom link so you can join the class. I will also be creating a new podcast on this topic. Click on the link above to download the WIX app on your mobile device.
One of the miracles of salvation is that when we have faith in Christ, God not only saves us—He also gives us the power to live according to His will. Your life in Christ is one that is empowered by the Holy Spirit living within you.
This is a great gift, but a big shift. It often takes time to change how we think and act. We may have bad habits that take hard work to correct, or patterns of thought that are challenging to break.
Thankfully, God promises to be with us and to empower us to make these changes in our life. When Paul is writing to his mentee Timothy, he encourages him to continue to develop the gift that God has given to him. While we are saved in an instant, it takes a lifetime to develop and work out what God is doing inside of us.
Paul reminds Timothy that God’s Spirit does not give us fear or cowardice. Those things are tools of the devil who is trying to keep us from God. But the Spirit of God empowers us with confidence in Him. He gives us the power to live out the purposes of God in our life. This power is one that we need to continually remember as we face challenges.
The Spirit of God also empowers us to love others. It can be difficult to love people, especially those who may have hurt us. But God promises to give us His power and love so that we can be a light to everyone around us.
God’s Spirit also empowers us with self-discipline. We won’t experience spiritual change and growth if we don’t train and practice—but that takes time, dedication, and endurance. We need to be consistent in doing the things that God asks us to do, including reading God’s Word and talking to Him. Thankfully, when we belong to God, He helps us. He gives us the strength, stamina, and soundness of mind to build habits that help us become more like Him.
So take some time today to talk with God. Ask Him to empower you by His Spirit toward confidence, love, and self-discipline. Consider how God is leading you to change the way you live. As you do that, remember that God doesn’t give us fear. He fills us with love because He wants us to experience a confident relationship with Him.
The letter that became the book of Hebrews was written to early believers who were facing persecution for what they believed. They were most likely tired, scared, and wanted to give up. But Hebrews 4:12 reminds them that their hope wasn’t just in words on a page or stories from the past. Their hope was in the active, living Word of God.
The book goes on to tell the powerful story of God’s Word at work in His people.
God spoke to Noah, and through his obedience, God’s creation survived the flood.
God called Abraham, and through his faith, a great nation was born.
God summoned Moses, and through his courage, God’s people were freed from slavery.
God’s Word moved—and His people responded in faith.
In the midst of fear, waiting, or uncertainty, God’s Word is still true. And it continues to work powerfully through every generation.
The same Word that called Noah, Abraham, and Moses is the same Word that calls us today. Just like them, we have a choice to respond in faith. And when we do, the active Word of God will shape us, guide us, and transform us.
Hey, join me at “Scars in Heaven” on the Spaces by Wix app to read “A Heart Filled With Scars” and more posts on the go. Join with this link: https://www.mobileapp.app/to/NvKBjoR?ref=2_so. Got the app? Use the invite code: GCXDM3
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Hey, join me at “Scars in Heaven” on the Spaces by Wix app to read “About Scars In Heaven : A Place for Healing, Hope, and Eternal Perspective” and more posts on the go.
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Hey, join me at “Scars in Heaven” on the Spaces by Wix app to easily stay updated and more on the go.
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Hey, join me at “Scars in Heaven” on the Spaces by Wix app to easily stay updated and more on the go.
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🌿 Wellness Warriors: Who We Are and What We Stand For
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and neglect the most important thing we have—our health. That’s where Wellness Warriors comes in. We are more than just a community; we are a movement of individuals committed to living well, staying balanced, and supporting one another on the journey toward lasting health and vitality.
💪 Who We Are
Wellness Warriors is a group of health-conscious individuals who believe that wellness isn’t a one-time achievement, but a daily practice. We are people of different ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles who share a common mission: to make healthier choices every day and inspire others to do the same.
Our name says it all—we are warriors for our own health. We face challenges head-on, whether that’s managing stress, staying active, improving our nutrition, or maintaining mental clarity. And just like warriors, we don’t fight alone—we stand side by side, encouraging one another to keep going.
🌱 What We Stand For
At our core, Wellness Warriors is built on five guiding values:
1 Holistic Health – We believe in caring for the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. True wellness means balance in all areas of life.
2 Community Support – Together, we are stronger. We lift each other up, share our experiences, and celebrate victories—big or small.
3 Sustainable Living – We value habits and practices that support long-term health, not quick fixes.
4 Positive Mindset – We embrace optimism and gratitude as powerful tools for mental and emotional well-being.
5 Growth & Learning – We stay open to new knowledge, wellness practices, and ways to improve ourselves.
🥦 What We Do to Stay Healthy
Wellness Warriors is more than just a name—it’s a lifestyle. We commit to practices that keep us thriving, and while everyone’s journey looks different, here are some of the ways we stay healthy together:
1.
Nutritious Eating
We fuel our bodies with wholesome foods—fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. We share recipes, meal-prepping tips, and encouragement to choose foods that nourish instead of drain us.
2.
Staying Active
Movement is medicine. Some of us love walking, others prefer yoga, weight training, or dance. Whatever the form, we celebrate staying active as a key to strong bodies and sharp minds.
3.
Mental Wellness
We take mental health seriously. Wellness Warriors practice mindfulness, journaling, prayer, meditation, and gratitude exercises. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body.
4.
Self-Care Rituals
We don’t just push hard—we also rest and recharge. Whether it’s skincare routines, relaxing baths, or unplugging from social media, we honor the need to pause and care for ourselves.
5.
Accountability & Encouragement
Most importantly, we hold each other accountable. We share our progress, cheer one another on, and provide the gentle push needed when motivation fades.
🌟 Why It Matters
Being a Wellness Warrior isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. We know life comes with ups and downs, but we choose to rise every time. Each healthy choice we make builds resilience, and each step forward inspires someone else to take their own.
Together, we stand as proof that wellness is not just a goal—it’s a lifestyle worth fighting for.
✨ Final Word
At Wellness Warriors, we believe health is wealth, and true strength comes from within. By standing together, supporting each other, and committing to daily healthy practices, we are shaping not only our own lives but also inspiring those around us.
The high point of the Sermon on the Mount may be Matthew 6:33:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
But first, Jesus engages the gods that keep us from seeking the kingdom: reputation (vv. 1–4, 16–18), wealth (vv. 19–24), and security (vv. 25–32).
The section on wealth concludes not with a command, “Don’t serve money,” but with a choice: “No one can serve two masters. … You cannot serve God and money” (v. 24). Jesus speaks to disciples who have chosen God: having taken that step of faith, they need not be anxious about material things like food or clothing (v. 25). The command “Do not be anxious” (or “Don’t worry”) appears in the beginning, middle, and end of this passage (vv. 25, 31, 34).
Jesus explains why disciples shouldn’t worry:
1. We shouldn’t worry because, “is not life more than food” (v. 25). Since God cares for all parts of life, he surely cares for our material needs.
2. Since God cares for his lesser creatures, such as birds, he surely cares for us, his children (v. 26).
3. Worry accomplishes nothing. It can’t lengthen life and may shorten it (v. 27).
4. God adorns flowers with unmatched beauty, and he clothes grass faithfully. Flowers and grass are symbols of the brevity and fragility of life (Isa. 40:7). Life is fragile, but if God cares for plants, he will protect us, despite our little faith.
Jesus’ disciples have faith, but their worry proves the weakness of their faith. Great faith comes not by looking inward, to the believing self, but by looking upward, to God. By faith we stop thinking like pagans, filled with anxiety about food and clothing. Pagans, thinking like orphans, worry. Disciples, thinking like children, relax.
Anxiety may not always be sinful. It’s wrong to tally our worries or let them congeal into one mass of anxiety (1 Pet. 5:7), but Paul had a proper anxiety (same Greek word) for all his churches (2 Cor. 11:28). Paul felt concerned, but he apparently saw his anxiety as a problem, not as a sin. There is a form of concern that is not sinful, as we take that concern to God.
Then, as faith quiets our fears, we find God’s will and follow it. We may plan for tomorrow’s food, but we don’t worry, knowing the Father supplies every need. Liberated from worry, we seek his kingdom and righteousness.
I shared this article because it is filled with wisdom, and knowledge. We live in a world where we experience stress, depression, worry, and anxiety. Jesus doesn’t want us to worry about unnecessary things like what we will eat, or what we will drink, or wear. God provides everything we need just as He provides for the birds of the air, and the flowers in the fields, are we not more important than they? We are important to God. We are His creation. He loves us more than our minds can fathom. It is all right to be concerned about something or someone, but to worry is a sin. What do we have to worry about that God cannot handle? What do we have to fear that God can’t protect us from? Nothing. That’s right, Nothing. God is all-powerful. He holds the whole world in His hands, and what makes us think that He won’t provide for us, and protect us? We are loved beyond recognition and that will never change. God’s love and provision for us endures forever. With that being said, and as always, thank you for joining me on my journey with Food for the Soul. Have a blessed week in the Lord.🙏🏾❤️✝️
I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. —Revelation 3:14-17
For years, many of us have misunderstood what Jesus meant when He called the Laodicean church “lukewarm.”
We’ve been taught that being “hot” means being passionate for God, “cold” means being hostile to God, and “lukewarm” describes Christians who are spiritually apathetic or halfhearted. But this interpretation misses the profound geographic and cultural context that would have been crystal clear to the original audience.
This is why understanding the background of the Bible is so important.
The Water Crisis of Laodicea
Picture the wealthy city of Laodicea, boasting of its resources and self-sufficiency. Yet beneath this prosperity lay a fundamental problem that every citizen lived with daily: their water was utterly useless.
Just six miles north, the city of Hierapolis was famous for its hot mineral springs. These steaming waters cascaded down white travertine cliffs, creating natural therapeutic baths that drew people from across the region. Hot water had a purpose: it healed, it cleansed, it restored.
Eleven miles to the east, Colossae was renowned for its cold, pure mountain waters. Crystal clear and refreshing, these waters satisfied thirst and revived weary travelers. Cold water had purpose: it refreshed, it satisfied, it gave life.
But what about Laodicea, you might ask?
Despite all their wealth, they had to pipe in their water through Roman aqueducts from springs five miles away. By the time this mineral-heavy water reached the city, it arrived (you guessed it) lukewarm: too cool for therapeutic bathing, too warm for a refreshing drink. Archaeological evidence still shows us the calcified pipes, thick with lime deposits, a testament to water that served no useful purpose.
When Jesus said, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot,” He wasn’t expressing a preference for spiritual hostility over spiritual apathy. He was using a metaphor every Laodicean would instantly understand.
Their lukewarm water was useless: it couldn’t heal like the hot springs of Hierapolis, and it couldn’t refresh like the cold streams of Colossae. It was functionally worthless, good for nothing except to be spat out in disgust.
Jesus wasn’t talking about the temperature of their passion. He was talking about the effectiveness of their faith.
Useless Christianity
The Laodicean Christians weren’t lacking zeal; they were lacking impact. Their works were barren and ineffective. Like their city’s lukewarm water, their faith served no useful purpose. It didn’t bring healing to the broken like hot water, and it didn’t bring refreshment to the spiritually thirsty like cold water.
These believers probably attended church regularly. They likely participated in religious activities. But their Christianity was functionally useless. It didn’t transform lives, didn’t meet needs, didn’t advance God’s kingdom, and didn’t reflect His character to a watching world.
This is what made Jesus want to “spit them out of His mouth”. Not their lack of enthusiasm, but their lack of effectiveness.
The Self-Sufficient Trap
Laodicea’s wealth had bred a dangerous self-sufficiency. “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” they declared. But Jesus saw their true condition: “You are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
When we become comfortable in our prosperity, whether material, spiritual, or social, we risk falling into the same trap. We maintain the appearance of faith while losing its transformative power. We become like lukewarm water: present but pointless, existing but not effective.
A Call to Usefulness
Jesus doesn’t want you to choose between being passionately hot or hostilely cold. He wants your faith to be useful. He wants your Christianity to accomplish something meaningful in His kingdom and in the lives of others.
Will your faith be like hot water: bringing healing, restoration, and cleansing to those who are hurting? Will it be like cold water: offering refreshment, encouragement, and life to those who are spiritually thirsty?
Or will it be lukewarm: technically present but practically useless, maintained but meaningless, claiming the name of Christ but accomplishing nothing in His name?
The Choice Before Us
The call to the Laodicean church, and to us, isn’t to manufacture religious excitement or choose spiritual indifference. It’s to make our faith effective. It’s to ensure that our relationship with Christ translates into real impact for His kingdom and genuine service to others.
Don’t let your Christianity become lukewarm water, present but powerless, claimed but ineffective. Let it be hot with healing grace or cold with refreshing truth. Let it be useful in the hands of the One who calls you to follow Him not just in name, but in transformative action.
The question isn’t whether you’re passionate enough. The question is whether your faith accomplishes anything that matters for eternity. That’s what Jesus is really asking of His church, not more temperature, but more effectiveness.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” – Revelation 3:20