This is typically an email I send out every Ash Wednesday because I just love it. This year I wanted to share it y'all, too. It reminds me how to focus on fasting in a broader sense than we normally think about. Lenten sacrifice isn't just about "what" you're giving up but Who you're growing closer to.
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"Unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 5:20
HOW TO FAST
Fast from judging others; Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from apparent darkenss; Feast on the reality of light.
Fast from pessimism; Feast on optimism.
Fast from thoughts of illness; Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; Feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from anger; Feast on patience.
Fast from worry; Feast on Divine Providence.
Fast from unrelenting pressure; Feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from negatives; Feast on positives.
Fast from complaining; Feast on appreciation.
Fast from hostility; Feast on non-resistance.
Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from anxiety; Feast on hope.
Fast from yourself; Feast on a silent heart.
Lenten Action: Be generous with your compliments today, especially to those who appear to be "down".
Prayer: I enter on this path of repentence so that in dying to self I might rise to new life.