Archive for February, 2009

Lent Can Change Your Life…Literally.

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Today is by far one of my favorite days of the year; Ash Wednesday. The Great Fast is upon us once again and the Lord has given us another season of Lent to hit the “Reset” button and stip away all that distracts us from Him.

Many think I’m crazy or a masochist for thinking so, but I like Lent more than Christmas and Easter combined. I know, objectively, that those two days are more important in terms of our salvation, but I remain convinced that without the season of Lent, I might not even know salvation.

Each year I am drawn deeper into the mystery of Christ’s Passion and come to know Him in a whole new way through these 40 days. Therefore, as we enter in, I would like to share a story that may help you take this season a bit more seriously this go around.

I say a bit more seriously because many people approach Lent very childishly. They decide to give up minuscule things like chocolate or chewing gum which, while a small inconvenience, is not a true sacrifice.

But, I’m here to tell you that if you take this season seriously, if you truly stretch yourself and sacrifice things you never dreamed you could do without, these next 40 days could contain the seeds of the extraordinary existence the Lord has always planned for you.

This is no overstatement and I am walking proof. Let me tell you why.

(more…)

Tags: ,
Posted in Events, Sugar Addiction, The Life | 6 Comments »

At the Foot of the Cross

Friday, February 20th, 2009

In prayer and in worship we often talk about laying our problems down at the foot of the cross. I never took much time to think about what this might mean until just yesterday when I was blessed with an exercise using just that image.

Here’s how it works.

On a sheet of paper, draw a hill with three crosses on it signifying Calvary. Take a moment and reflect upon the sins you are struggling with. You could do this during your nightly examination of conscience or anytime you are experiencing stress and anxiety throughout the day. As you recall your sins and heartaches, write them on the hill underneath the cross.

When I did this, my Calvary became dotted with words like insecurity, doubt, and procrastination, just to name a few.

After you get everything written down that is weighing on your conscience, take a moment to pray over your faults and ask forgiveness for them. Amend to make the positive changes necessary so you won’t commit these transgressions again in the future. Once you’ve done this, take a moment to meditate on the healing redemption won for you by Christ. Know that your sins are forgiven and say a prayer of thanks.

Now that you’ve laid your problems at the foot of the cross, it’s time for the fun part; resurrection.

Take another piece of paper and write down the opposite of the faults you just listed preceded by the statement, “By the power of the Holy Spirit I have,” “I am,” or “I do…” For example, the opposite of doubt is faith. Therefore, you write, “By the power of the Holy Spirit, I have unshakable faith.” This statement is, in affect, a prayer calling on the power of God to help you overcome your faults. At the same time, it is written in the present tense affirming your personal responsibility to cultivate virtue in your life.

After doing this exercise, I realized that laying my problems at the foot of the cross meant allowing Christ to take my sins into the tomb. Once they had died with him, they could then rise as their opposing virtue and go about the work of transforming my life.

So, go grab your pen and paper, give it a go, and let me know what happens for you.

Tags:
Posted in The Life | No Comments »

The Good News!

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Do you read the newspaper? Do you go to cnn.com or fox.com throughout the day? What about the evening news? Nightly news? Yes, yes, yes, and yes?

How many hours a day would you say you spend reading, listening to, or watching the news? As a former news junkie, I would say taking all media into account, I use to average about 3 hours a day. Between listening to NPR in my car, scouring the internet for stories to blog about, and checking CNN, 3 hours is definitely a conservative estimate.

Let’s do the numbers.

3 hours a day gets you 21 hours a week, 91 hours a month, and 1,092 hours a year. That’s over 45 days every year spent absorbing concentrated murder, rape, suicide bombings, terrorist attacks, and “economic crisis,” news. No wonder I use to be so negative!

So, what if you took the time you spend focused on all of the above and instead focused on you? What if you went from worrying about the problems of the world to bringing about solutions in your own life? What if you took one year to, as Jim Rohn says, work harder on yourself than you do on your job? 

That’s what I decided to do at the beginning of 2009 and almost two full months in I’ve got to say it was one of the best decisions of my life. I’ve read more books and listened to more audio tapes in the last 2 months than I have in the last 2 years combined!

Therefore, as of today blogging has resumed, but unlike ever before.

Slave2Freedom use to be a web site; now it is a movement! An all out, relentless, unstoppable, optimistic movement toward fulfilling one’s purpose on Earth. In this renewed mission, I not only seek to help others overcome their Sugar Addictions, but I am looking to help Freedom Fighters from all walks of life conquer self, reach their goals, and live a life they once only dreamed possible.

Fulton Sheen once wrote, “There are no limits to the truth you can know, the life you can live, and to the love you can enjoy, and to the beauty you can experience.”

So, let’s see just how high this upward spiral can go!!

Tags:
Posted in The Life | No Comments »