From President's Day to Mardi Gras to Lent, this week has its share of holidays and celebrations.
Lent is always an interesting lesson for me.
I always seem to give up food, and/or drink during this season because that is always something I get easily addicted to.
Some years it's chocolate, full throttle, diet pepsi and chocolate, fast food, taco bell, you name, I've given it up. Last yr was diet pepsi, chocolate, and fast food. That was a HUGE eye opener and yet, I went straight back to them all slowly over time.
This year, I received a book from Compassion International for Christmas. It's titled "A Place at the Table" by Chris Seay. It was released earlier this year (as in January) and Compassion was one of the first companies to offer it up.
The premise is this "40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor". It challenges the readers to "fast" from American diet and eat like the poor of the world do for 40 days. During this time we spend in prayer, meditation, reading, and learning the Bible and using the monies we would spend on groceries on a cause that supports feeding the poor; like Compassion International, Water for Life, etc.
It's not going to make us waste away, but will make us mindful of the food we do eat, prepare, cook, and purchase during this time. There are some feast days and we've marked those for Sundays, as that's our small group days and we typically eat together on those evenings.
There is also a dvd to coincide if anyone wants to do it as a small group, church, family unit. There are location shots, and probably more in depth topics covered. The book itself has prayers, country facts, quotes, ideas/suggestions and things to make it a devotional time to help learn why fasting is part of God's disciplines like prayer, and worship, etc.
I'll be posting updates and progress reports and encouragement for anyone willing to come alongside me. The Marine has also agreed to do it with me, so we're both in this and we're looking forward to the changes in our spiritual life, physical lives, and our marriage.
If God is for us, WHO can be against us?
Lent is always an interesting lesson for me.
I always seem to give up food, and/or drink during this season because that is always something I get easily addicted to.
Some years it's chocolate, full throttle, diet pepsi and chocolate, fast food, taco bell, you name, I've given it up. Last yr was diet pepsi, chocolate, and fast food. That was a HUGE eye opener and yet, I went straight back to them all slowly over time.
This year, I received a book from Compassion International for Christmas. It's titled "A Place at the Table" by Chris Seay. It was released earlier this year (as in January) and Compassion was one of the first companies to offer it up.
The premise is this "40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor". It challenges the readers to "fast" from American diet and eat like the poor of the world do for 40 days. During this time we spend in prayer, meditation, reading, and learning the Bible and using the monies we would spend on groceries on a cause that supports feeding the poor; like Compassion International, Water for Life, etc.
It's not going to make us waste away, but will make us mindful of the food we do eat, prepare, cook, and purchase during this time. There are some feast days and we've marked those for Sundays, as that's our small group days and we typically eat together on those evenings.
There is also a dvd to coincide if anyone wants to do it as a small group, church, family unit. There are location shots, and probably more in depth topics covered. The book itself has prayers, country facts, quotes, ideas/suggestions and things to make it a devotional time to help learn why fasting is part of God's disciplines like prayer, and worship, etc.
I'll be posting updates and progress reports and encouragement for anyone willing to come alongside me. The Marine has also agreed to do it with me, so we're both in this and we're looking forward to the changes in our spiritual life, physical lives, and our marriage.
If God is for us, WHO can be against us?
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