What does it mean to be alive?

“Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.” - Matthew 22:37-39

I have been pondering today what it is to truly be "alive." I heard a comment in this context, "Being alive is to be passionate and emotional. To feel is to be alive." Is simply pouring out your heart and acting on that response all there is to being alive? If there is more to being alive what is it? Jesus said He came to give us abundant life, does that mean a Christ-follower is to have more passion and emotion....more heart? Where does that leave soul and mind?

Many times we forget that pleasing the flesh can create an emotion as well. I feel good after I eat a bag of potato chips...especially the bar-b-cue flavor...you know what I mean...the old fashioned kind that are saturated in trans-fat and get all over your fingers. It is not healthy at all...but I feel satisfied. Is this true of all our sins? Most of the time, I feel pretty good after the fact. Then, I feel guilty. Another heart wrenching disappointment where I tell myself that I know better than to do that.

Lets ponder this question for awhile longer...what does it mean to truly be alive? All comments are welcome. A nice things about this question is that there is no wrong answer. You know I love ya - Don