Devotional

Heart-to-Heart

There’s something so comforting about physical closeness. If you’re like me, a good hug can solve a multitude of problems. In fact, this is why my husband and I are intentional about greeting one another with a warm, loving embrace when we get home from work—some days I have to hold him there longer for my full “60 seconds.” However stressed, emotional, or exhausted I feel and regardless of how long my day has been, just a few moments of being physically “heart-to-heart” with my husband helps my heartbeat to calm and everything else follows suit. 

When reflecting on how impactful these “60 seconds” are on calming whatever emotions or anxieties I’m feeling, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that it really is quite that simple with God. Our loved ones are gifts from God, sent to encourage, comfort, support and celebrate with us so it’s natural to seek solace from them, but of course that comfort is temporary. True lasting peace comes only from the Lord, because His peace is not fleeting and does not waver, as we learn in Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

When we come to the Lord Almighty with our frustrations, anxieties, emotions, or whatever else may be plaguing our minds and withholding peace, God meets us with a warm, loving embrace. He holds us right where we are, for as long as we need. The longer we spend in His presence, the closer our hearts become aligned, or “synced” with His. All the negative emotions then flee and are replaced by peace, trust, hope, patience, joy, encouragement and love. 

Our hearts are so vital not only physically, but also spiritually. This is why we’re instructed to “guard our hearts” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus himself reminded us of the importance of the heart when He said:

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45)

So how do we do so? How can we combat our heart becoming stone, full of worry or unchecked emotions set on by lies that the enemy whispers in our ears? Let’s take a page out of David’s book, the man described as being after God’s own heart. David cried out to God: “Create in me a pure heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10). David fully surrendered his heart to the only One who is able to offer lasting refuge. 

God’s response and promise to all who turn and surrender to Him is so encouraging: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26)

God will not reject your plea or leave you helpless, He’s waiting for you with open arms. The next time you feel something unwelcome start to creep into your heart, I encourage you, go to God for His heart-to-heart embrace… even if just for “60 seconds” at a time.

(Devotion contributed by Ashley)

Financial Update

SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic IPO’s - Liquidity Drainers?

While the markets have been anything but stale over the past few years, the IPO market has been somewhat flat. However, 2026 is shaping up to become one of the most important years for initial public offerings in modern financial history.

Investors are now closely watching a new generation of technology giants, particularly AI and space companies that could redefine both Wall Street and the broader economy.

Some of the most anticipated names are OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, Anthropic, creator of the Claude AI platform, and SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace and satellite company. Together, these firms represent trillions of dollars in projected valuation and potentially hundreds of billions in capital seeking investor attention.

But the most recent market decline has created a new sort of speculation: Could these IPOs actually be contributing to weakness in the broader market?

Some strategists believe recent pullbacks in large technology stocks may partially reflect investors raising cash in preparation for these offerings. In other words, institutional investors may be trimming positions in existing holdings to free up liquidity for potential allocations to SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic, once their shares become publicly available. 

The timing is especially interesting because markets are already navigating heightened volatility tied to inflation concerns, interest-rate uncertainty, stretched AI valuations, and, of course, conflict in the Middle East. Reuters recently reported that parts of the AI sector are beginning to show signs of speculative excess, with some analysts comparing current enthusiasm to previous technology bubbles.

At the same time, not everyone believes the liquidity concerns are severe. Several market strategists argue that while these IPOs are massive by historical standards, the overall U.S. equity market is large enough to absorb them over time. Since only a small percentage of shares will initially become publicly tradable, the immediate liquidity shock may be more limited than headlines suggest.

Still, the current environment says something important about today’s market. Investor appetite remains heavily concentrated in high-growth, future-focused sectors like artificial intelligence, automation, and space infrastructure. 

Rather than chasing stability or dividends, much of the market’s enthusiasm continues flowing toward companies promising transformational long-term innovation.

Historically, periods like this often reflect both optimism and risk. Strong IPO demand can signal confidence in future economic growth and technological advancement, but it can also indicate speculative behavior when valuations begin running ahead of fundamentals.

As 2026 unfolds, the upcoming IPO wave may become much more than just a financial story; it may provide insight into how much liquidity, optimism, and risk appetite today’s markets can truly sustain.

Tech Update

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) which was projected to arrive in 2030 appears to have already arrived and is shocking even its creators. 

Unlike previous versions of generative AI that was narrow in scope, AGI provides broad based AI that can in a way ‘think outside the box’ to come up with answers and solutions to complex problems on its own . Consider that earlier this year Claude AI’s success rate for solving open ended problems was 26% and is now at 76%, a 50% improvement in just 6 months!

In fact, AGI is now enabling AI platforms to create code on its own to build successive versions of itself without human intervention. We are talking about technology that is managing itself and hence the warning that humans may lose control of AI.

I recently listened to a revealing interview by ex-Google officer and AI pioneer, Mo Gawdat, who believes the economic ramifications of AGI will be massive, as up to 30% of jobs will disappear by next year. This will especially impact entry level white collar jobs, such as paralegal, financial analysts, programmers etc. I have personally noticed a lot more recent 4 year college graduates struggling to find jobs, so can attest to this happening. The impact on the economy and society will be tremendous. Anthropic anticipates that a 100 person company will start doing the work of a 100,000 company as a result. Let those numbers sink in.

We are in a massive AI arms race where no one knows what the outcome will be, except God.

As Christ followers I continue to encourage you to use AI/AGI responsibly and ethically.

Above all, pursue God’s Anointed Intelligence first and foremost above the artificial one.

Health Nuggets

Dehydration

Dehydration happens when your body loses more fluid than it takes in, and it can range from mild to severe. With hot and humid summer upon us, it is important to recognize the symptoms before it’s too late.

Common symptoms are thirst, dry mouth, dark urine, dizziness, headache, tiredness/fatigue, weakness, and peeing less often than usual. In more severe cases: confusion, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, low blood pressure, sunken eyes, constipation and fainting.

How to prevent it: drink fluids regularly through the day; don’t wait until you feel thirsty; drink more in hot weather, during exercise, or if you have fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; use water as your main drink; limit alcohol, and be cautious with sugary or caffeinated drinks.

Older adults often show dehydration without strong thirst. Symptoms to look for: dry lips; dark yellow urine or much less urination than usual; new confusion, irritability, sleepiness, or difficulty focusing; dizziness, especially when standing, or instead walking; muscle cramps (especially at night); dry skin, sunken eyes, or poor skin elasticity.

More Urgent signs: not being able to keep fluids down because of vomiting or severe diarrhea; rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, fainting, or marked confusion; very little or no urine.

Why it can be missed: thirst becomes less reliable with age, so an older adult may already be dehydrated before they feel thirsty. Cognitive changes, medications, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and hot weather can make dehydration show up faster. A practical check is urine color: pale yellow is usually reassuring, while darker urine suggests they need more fluids.

Several medication types can raise dehydration risk in older adults, especially because aging kidneys are less able to conserve water. Medications to watch for: diuretics (water pills); laxatives; SGLT2 inhibitors; blood pressure medicines, including ACE inhibitors and ARBs; and NSAIDs such as ibuprofen.

Practical cautions: don’t stop a prescribed medicine on your own, because the drug may be needed for heart, blood pressure, or diabetes control; if a senior takes a diuretic, SGLT2 inhibitor, or multiple medicines, monitor for dark urine, dizziness, weakness, confusion, or reduced urination; during hot weather, illness, or poor intake, fluid needs may change and a clinician may need to adjust the plan.

A good rule of thumb is that any medicine causing more urination, diarrhea, vomiting, dry mouth, or kidney stress deserves extra hydration attention in an elderly patient.

STAY HYDRATED!

Note: Health Nuggets are opinions and not medical advice.

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