Posted on

The Why Behind Fasting

THE WHY BEHIND FASTING:

To be honest, I love to fast and I hate to fast.  I love food and I am a ‘snacker’ by nature so I hate the thought of fasting.  This sounds like a contradiction but this is what I love about fasting-it crucifies my flesh.  I have come to realize the spiritual benefits of fasting.  Simply put, it makes me stronger spiritually.

During a fast, especially in the beginning, our flesh will cry out for food and we just wag our parental index finger at our naughty little flesh and say, “No, no you little spoiled brat, you can’t have everything you want.”

Continue reading “The Why Behind Fasting”

Posted on

End of the Old and Beginning the New

End the Old and Begin the New

The hope of the New Year is found in fresh starts and new beginnings. This time of year we talk of New Year’s resolutions and the like, all with the expectations of getting a new grip on life.  I am thankful with God; we can get a fresh start anytime.

I like the words Paul wrote to the church of Philippi, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, / I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV).

Continue reading “End of the Old and Beginning the New”

Posted on

A New Year’s Perspective

The New Year is just around the corner and on the top of many resolution lists will be to lose weight.  That resolution along with many others will end in the ash heap of frustration in just a few weeks.  I have never been a big New Year’s resolution guy to begin with but I do like to evaluate myself from time to time.  In that evaluation, I always see some things I need to lose and some things I need to gain.

Continue reading “A New Year’s Perspective”

Posted on

Postpartum Christmas

The few days following Christmas is like coming down from a sugar high.  This Christmas season started right after Walmart put away their scary masks and it began in earnest the day after Thanksgiving.  The weeks leading up to Christmas is filled with scheduling family gatherings, shopping, wrapping, cooking, and decorating.  There is a lot of energy that goes into the Christmas season.

Continue reading “Postpartum Christmas”

Posted on

Manger in the Light of the Cross

I love Christmas!  I love most of the trappings of Christmas–I even love fruitcake but Christmas is not just about the trees, lights, presents, or even the family get-togethers.  Beyond all these things, Christmas represents the great love of God for the world, manifested in the First Advent of His Son, Jesus Christ.  The scripture says it so well, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).

Continue reading “Manger in the Light of the Cross”

Posted on

Life-Changing Discipline

No, it’s not a diet plan.  It is so simple but requires some dedication–reading through the entire Bible every year.  This is something I have done for many years and one of the best things I have ever done.  The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV).  It takes some diligence but it has great rewards.  Here are a few reasons I do it:

Continue reading “Life-Changing Discipline”

Posted on

Be Jesus: To Someone, Somewhere, Somehow

I remember feeling a burden and calling from God to do ‘something’. At the time, I did not know what the ‘something’ was and what it would look like but the ‘something’ was nagging at my heart.  Eventually, I stepped out and began to do something.  The genesis of Pathway Outreach Ministries began with a ‘something’ — reaching out to kids in a local trailer park.  Pathway Outreach has evolved over time as God has opened more and different doors of opportunities.

Continue reading “Be Jesus: To Someone, Somewhere, Somehow”