Hey, enjoyed your podcast this week. Great topic!

Comments about "picking up" a spiritual discipline resounded with me.

The year I first became involved in full time ministry I really needed to be closely connected with God, and during Lent felt led to fast one day a week and spend that day focused on prayer and just being with God, even as I worked. What a blessing that became in my life, as the working hours and the challenges grew! It became so much a part of my spiritual life that I continued to fast every Monday for many years, throughout the year, until my health no longer allowed it. I guess, to me, it was one way of focusing my heart more on God and His constant provision for me. I really miss that part of my time with Him - it was so clarifying and powerful a time for meditation on Him!

I agree that just giving something up seems kind of trite unless there's a spiritual purpose to it, so I haven't done anything new to replace the fasting in the last few years. Thanks for the reminder to go back to the spiritual disciplines for ideas. I still have some of the books on that subject that encouraged me to try fasting all those years ago. (St. Augustine was one of them!) Think I'll go back to them again for some ideas.

Nice to see you keep the jokes coming for your Australian listeners! haha

Just wanted to add my comment that I was giving up eating out altogether the lent before Joe and I got married. I was doing it because I was spending way too much-it was actually Joe's idea to have me donate it somewhere and, since we were planning on taking about 20 high school kids to Belize 3 weeks after we got married, it automatically went into that fund.

Also, on the lent note, my sister gave up TV the same year. That was all and good, but she TAPED all her favorite episodes and watched them ALL the day after Easter. She spent all day 'catching up', so she wasted just as much time as she would have just watching the shows (and there were many) when they came on! My mom tried to justify it, but I just couldn't comprehend it. Since, I've stopped making sure I give up something-(I've given up french fries, coffee, and chocolate!)-and I just make sure my heart's in the right place. That has become a lot easier since leading worship-with having to actually think about the songs I sing!

Love ya guys!!!

Hey. Enjoyed the podcast!

While living out of the country in Sydney I began to realize how much our culture influenced things like Christmas and Easter. I had heard so many Sunday morning messages growing up about how God created Spring so that we could understand the true meaning of Easter.

Not the case when you live in another part of the world.

This is something I have tried to do for quite some time in my spiritual walk. I don't often do a daily devotion, but during Lent and Advent - this is something I make a part of my daily activities.

The challenge I focused on was the comment made that after 40 days, maybe I can take that forward into the remainder of the year.

Thanks for the thought provoking podcast!