You might have guessed that I’ve been thinking a lot about distraction lately.

Not just phones. Not just social media. Not even busyness.

Something deeper.

The more I pay attention to Scripture, and to my own heart, the more I wonder if distraction isn’t primarily an attention problem at all. I wonder if it’s a love problem.

A heart problem.

A soul problem.

The word itself means “to be pulled apart,” and that feels like a pretty good description of modern life. Most of us don’t feel openly rebellious against God. We feel fragmented. Torn in a dozen directions by good things that slowly crowd out what matters most.

You can watch the video by simply clicking the button above or find it on my Facebook page HERE.Enjoying the journey with you, Les

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This POD Episode is something new for me. My sister Sue and I did a Facebook Live this week. Sue is a homeschool Mom who has or is homeschooling all of her 10 kids (3 who are still being homeschooled). We have great conversations each week, along with her husband Michael, and we thought we would start to share some of them. Or at least try to!

In this first episode we cover a big topic about Distraction as a sin issue. To start, do any of these questions ever bother you?

* Why can’t I stop scrolling?

* Why do I feel numb?

* Why can’t I focus?

* Why do I feel disconnected from God?

* Why do I feel guilty when I’m with my kids?

* Why am I always exhausted?

* Why don’t I hear God anymore?

Have you heard that your Phone is the real problem?

Or social media?

Or the Algorithm?

Which question to you ask yourself the most? Comment below…

Well, click the button above and we jump right in with some thoughts about this.

Or, you can keep scrolling below for a summary and a podcast timeline just in case you want to jump in somewhere in the middle.

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

PS If you prefer watching your POD’s then keep scrolling and you’ll find the video at the end of this.

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Is Your Phone Really the Problem?

I don’t think distraction began with smartphones.

Long before we carried tiny glowing screens in our pockets, people found ways to avoid themselves.

Some escaped into novels.

Some buried themselves in work.

Some watched endless sports.

Some stayed busy serving at church.

Some consumed an endless stream of Christian books, podcasts, and sermons.

The object changes.

The heart doesn’t.

That realization has been quietly changing the way I think about distraction.

What if distraction isn’t primarily a technology problem?

What if it’s a love problem?

What if every distraction is competing for our attention—not because it wants our time, but because it wants to keep us from the people, the presence, and the purpose God has placed right in front of us?

In this conversation, Sue and I don’t spend much time talking about phones. Instead, we explore what distraction is doing beneath the surface.

We talk about why an undivided heart matters, how our attention shapes our relationships, why even good things can become distractions, and why repentance might simply begin by learning to think differently.

If you’ve ever felt spiritually numb...

If you’ve ever wondered why you struggle to hear God’s voice...

If you’ve ever sat in the same room with people you love while everyone stared at a different screen...

...I think you’ll find yourself somewhere in this conversation.

I’d love to hear what stood out to you after you’ve listened.

What currently has more of your attention than it deserves?

Podcast Timeline

00:00 – Is technology really the problem?

02:10 – Every generation has had distractions

05:20 – How distraction fragments the soul

08:05 – Why distraction is really a love problem

10:55 – Mary, Martha, and the “one thing necessary”

13:40 – How good things become spiritual distractions

15:55 – The Parable of the Sower and crowded hearts

18:10 – Repentance means learning to think again

22:40 – Boundaries that protect your attention

24:45 – Modern idleness looks busy

27:00 – Practical habits for becoming more present

30:20 – Can Christian activity distract us from God?

32:30 – Final thoughts: living with an undivided heart

Key Takeaways

* Distraction is more than a technology issue—it’s a heart issue.

* What has your attention ultimately shapes your life.

* Love requires presence.

* Even good things can distract us from the best things.

* Boundaries aren’t restrictive—they’re protective.

* Repentance begins with learning to think differently.

* An undivided heart is one of the greatest gifts we can ask God for.

Memorable Quotes

“Distraction is a love problem.”

“The phone isn’t the problem. The heart is.”

“We’re addicted to being distracted.”

“An undivided heart is one that is fully present.”

“Presence is the one thing that’s always necessary.”

Scriptures Mentioned

* Psalm 86:11

* Luke 10:38–42 (Mary & Martha)

* Mark 4:18–19 (Parable of the Sower)

* Matthew 18:20

* 1 Peter 5:8

Reflection Questions

* What consistently distracts me from the people God has placed in front of me?

* Is my distraction revealing something deeper in my heart?

* What boundaries would help me become more present?

* Where have good things crowded out the best things?

* What would an “undivided heart” look like this week?

Connect With Us

If this conversation encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and join us next week as we continue exploring practical ways to follow Jesus with honesty, wisdom, and grace.

And, if you have any topics you want covered, then please message me with the link below…

What if the quality of your life is directly connected to the quality of your thinking?

In this video, I explore a foundational Christian truth that often gets overlooked: transformation begins in the mind. Scripture doesn’t call believers to be passive observers of their thoughts, but active participants, learning to take every thought captive and bring it into alignment with Christ.

Right thinking leads to right living.

What you think shapes who you become, what you do, and ultimately what kind of life you experience. Abundant life isn’t accidental—it is cultivated, one thought at a time.

This video could help you start 2026 stronger. As you set some goals and make plans for next year, be sure to make those “Thought” changes that will change everythiing!

Enjoying the journey with you,

Les

PS: I used an AI tool to create this short video. The content and ideas are entirely mine, based on a message about goal setting.

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Everybody complains. It’s practically part of being human.

We complain about the weather, the traffic, the delays, the people who push our buttons. But what I’m talking about today goes far deeper than a simple complaint.

In the video below, I explore something the source material calls dynamic grumbling, an internal habit so subtle we barely recognize it, yet strong enough to distort our attitude, our relationships, and even our spiritual life.

I explain this idea of Dynamic Gratitude by using one of the strangest, most dramatic stories in the Bible: a camp full of frustrated people, a sudden plague of poisonous snakes, and a cure that makes absolutely no sense on the surface.

* Why snakes?

* Why grumbling?

* Why does this ancient story hit so close to home?

Because dynamic grumbling isn’t about our circumstances. It’s about the quiet commentary running inside our own minds; the negativity we nurture, the assumptions we embrace, the internal posture that shapes everything we see. And the story in Numbers doesn’t just diagnose the problem… it reveals a surprising antidote.

In the video, I dive into:

* The difference between normal complaints and destructive grumbling

* Why grumbling is more about our disposition than our situation

* How negativity becomes a habit of the heart

* Why external “fixes” never cure an internal problem

* And the unexpected, counterintuitive biblical solution

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of frustration, if your mind gravitates toward what’s wrong instead of what’s possible, or if you’re simply tired of carrying internal venom you never meant to swallow… this one’s for you.

Let’s talk about the battle beneath the surface and the healing that begins when we finally look up.

Enjoying the journey with you, Les

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You can watch it on our YouTube Channel here…

For years I have taught on Dynamic Gratitude. I talk about 3 Levels of Gratitude, from being Thankful FOR something, Thankful IN something and Thankful IN ADVANCE.

It is about deepening our sense of thankfulness and being thankful for what we cannot yet see, for what we have yet to experience.

This 7-minute video is a compilation of some of my teaching around Dynamic Gratitude and I think it really helps show how to move from one level to the next.

From now until Thanksgiving (for Americans at least!) I will be sharing a lot about Dynamic Gratitude and hope you will put some of it into action; of course, first in changing your mind and then in action.

Thankful to be on this journey with you,

Les

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We live in an age where outrage has become a habit. Scroll through your feed and you’ll see it — people fighting over opinions, identities, politics, and truth itself. But here’s the thing: when you truly know who you are in Christ, you don’t have to rage against the world to prove it.

Romans 8:37 says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Paul didn’t write that from a palace. He wrote it from the middle of hardship, persecution, and loss — yet he had peace. Why? Because victory isn’t something we fight for; it’s something we live from.

Paul fought Rome and his old faith but he did so with eloquence, love and truth.

Not from Rage but from Love.

Those who are “more than conquerors” have nothing left to prove. Their strength doesn’t show up as noise — it shows up as peace. They don’t need to win every argument or shout every truth. They carry quiet authority because their confidence is rooted in love, not fear.

In this 7-minute episode, I talk about what it looks like to live from that kind of settled strength — the kind that can face the chaos of this world without being consumed by it. We’ll talk about what spiritual maturity really looks like when peace becomes your greatest power.

So take a deep breath. Tune in and let’s talk about what it means to walk as a conqueror who doesn’t have to rage.

Enjoying the Rage-Free, More Than Conqueror Journey with you,

Les

ROMANS 8:35-39 in The Passion Translation

35 Who could ever separate us from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish his love toward us. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love.

36 Even though it is written:All day long we face death threats for your sake, God.We are considered to be nothing more than sheep to be slaughtered!

37 Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!

38 So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens.

39 There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!

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I put a link below if you want to go back and read the article. This Podcast expands a little bit on the idea of putting up boundaries to what we listen to so that we create Kingdom Culture of thinking about what we are thinking about.

You know, TAKING EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE.

Enjoying this journey with you, Les

Thanks for reading The Journey Life with Les Herron! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

You can read the article here…

You can watch and subscribe to The Journey Life Channel on Youtube here…

Mindsets are tricky simply because they hide in plain sight. We say we believe something that contradicts how we live without ever getting a sense that something is wrong.

Some strongholds don’t shout.

They whisper.

If I was addicted to heroin I would most likely recognize it as a stronghold in my life.

If I am addicted to a Poverty Mentality, am a Zero-Sum Thinker, then I most likely think that I am acting in wisdom.

Some strongholds disguise themselves as “just being realistic”… or “wise with what I know about how life works.”

But underneath?

They’re built on fear, competition, and a deep belief that God’s blessings are limited.

It’s called zero-sum thinking — and it quietly shapes how we see God, ourselves, and each other.

In this post, I’m sharing 10 soul-searching questions that will help you expose and uproot this mindset wherever it’s hiding.

Why Reflective Questions? Because they are some of the best tools for exposing Mindsets that contradict how God thinks.

As always, these aren’t here to shame you — they’re here to free you.

They only work if you do the work.

Find a quiet spot and inquire slowly of your soul.

Let the Holy Spirit highlight what He wants to heal.

Enjoying the Abundance Journey with you, Les

PS: Below the picture I have put the 10 questions just in case that makes it easier for you. And, here is an idea: How about using these to generate some productive and healthy conversation around this topic between you and a friend?

10 Questions for Reflection

* Do I feel less valuable when someone else is winning?

* Do I secretly believe there’s only so much success or opportunity to go around?

* Am I more comfortable when others stay on “my level”?

* Do I find it hard to celebrate others when I’m waiting for my own breakthrough?

* Do I hold back from giving, encouraging, or sharing because I’m afraid there won’t be enough for me?

* Do I think forgiving someone means they “get away” with what they did?

* Do I compare my life constantly to others and always come up short?

* Do I see other churches, ministries, or leaders as competition?

* Do I avoid helping others grow because I fear being replaced or forgotten?

* Do I think God’s blessings are selective — like a lottery I haven’t won yet?

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The way we THINK can be holding us back.

Zero-sum thinking is a Mindset that we see played out in politics and in almost every media news cycle—on every topic.

It is a Mindset that says, “I can only win if you lose”, as well as, “If you win then I lose”.

And, I not only lose but I am now identified as a Loser.

It is the Mindset that makes us arrange people debating into winners and losers instead of assessing the points for truth and alignment with God’s heart and plans.

Zero-Sum Thinking is the idea that life is a fixed pie — if someone else gets a bigger slice, there’s less for you.

And it shows up in more ways than we realize:

* You feel jealous when someone else wins

* You hesitate to give because you fear losing

* You withhold forgiveness because it feels like letting go means losing control

* You compare your pace to someone else’s and assume you're behind

The thing is… none of that aligns with the Kingdom.

God doesn’t deal in scarcity. He multiplies. He overflows.

He gives without running out.

There is unlimited Pie in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In this part of the episode, I walk through some of the sneakiest signs of zero-sum thinking that can quietly infect how we lead, love, and live. And I’m asking you — not just to listen, but to let the Holy Spirit highlight anything He wants to shift.

* Let Him press on the places you’ve been holding back.

* Let Him show you where you’ve confused competition with calling.

* Let Him renew your mind and your vision.

You don’t have to stay stuck in a mindset of not-enough.

There is room for your story. There is time for your breakthrough. There is grace for your path.

Watch or listen to the 5-minute episode — and as always, let it move you to action, not just agreement.

Please Subscribe, Like, Comment and Share!

Enjoying the journey with you,

Les

PS: If you missed #1 you will find the link below.

Thanks for reading The Journey Life with Les Herron! This post is public so feel free to share it.

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Have you ever felt like someone else’s success somehow shrinks your chances?

Like God passed out favor… and skipped your name?

Or maybe you’ve caught yourself thinking, “If they win, I must be losing.”

That’s zero-sum thinking. It’s not just bad psychology, it’s bad theology.

We don’t talk about it often, but this mindset runs deep in so many of us. It hides under our jealousy. It masks itself in false humility.

And sometimes, a lot of the time, it even shows up in our theology; making us believe that God’s blessings are limited, like grace is on a budget.

In this week’s video and two others videos (coming soon), I tackle this head-on:

* What zero-sum thinking looks like in real life

* Why it doesn’t line up with the gospel

* And how you can start shifting into a Kingdom mindset that multiplies instead of competes

* In #3 I ask 10 powerful, reflective questions that will help you expose any zero-sum thinking that might be lurking within your mindsets.

Enjoying the Abundance Mindset journey with you,

Les

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