Why are artificial
ingredients added? They are added to
enhance the taste of food, improve appearance, & give foods better texture
and consistency. Preservatives are also added to prevent spoilage. As a result, all of these artificial
ingredients cause more harm than good.
Today we tried Unreal 41candies
next to M&M's. I was surprised at how much the food coloring negatively affected the taste. The Unreal candies tasted richer with a bit of a darker
chocolate taste. The Unreal 54 candies tasted very peanutty and flavorful. Both of these products hard shells were nice
and crunchy. We loved the chewy caramel
in the Unreal 5 & 8 nougat bars. The chocolate was creamy, but not quite as
sweet as a traditional candy bar.
I was skeptical about these
products, and didn't expect them to be a hit. Most of the candies that aren't
bad for you just don't taste as good as the real thing. The entire product line
is made with natural ingredients. It has
no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, no corn syrup, or GMOs, and it's
made with real cane sugar plus added protein and fiber. My family enjoyed the candies, and I'm thankful
to have healthier options for a sweet treat!
As I read about Unreal, I
started thinking about the artificial things in my life. Thomas Merton stated "Pride makes
us artificial and humility makes us real.” How pure is my relationship with Jesus? Do I sometimes add artificial flavoring to improve
my appearance, to make me look like a better Christian? Are there times that my motives for doing the
right things are to impress others rather than to please Him? How often do I do
the right things because I’m supposed to or out of obligation? Sometimes it is easy to fall into hypocrisy
and hide behind a mask of Christianity. In reality, when my relationship is
right with God, I naturally want to do the right things; the fruit of the spirit
are a natural outpouring.
When I think of 2011, I
wonder what happened. I was a Christian,
yet I didn’t look like a new creation in Christ. I was trying to do the right things, with a
failing heart. I was trying to live out
Christianity in my strength, without a daily renewal of the mind. Meditating
on God’s Word, prayer, & taking a daily moral inventory are key factors to
living a life where true transformation is visible.
“In the same way, let your
light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Jesus
is the light of the world and His light will shine from me. I can not create this light or stop it; it
has nothing to do with me. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. “It takes faith to believe that God would
permit you to lose what you’re proud of, and what you draw your security from
in order to give you something better–fruit that lasts” (Bill Gass).
This is what I long for, to
bear fruit that lasts. Just as Unreal
is starting to “unjunk” our favorite candies, I want my life to be “unjunked”
from all artificial traits.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
(Psalm 51:10-11)
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
(Psalm 51:10-11)
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