(Wednesday) Thoughts: Fasting and Feasting

Fast from emphasis on difference; feast on the unity of life.

Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of life.

Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; feast on divine order.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from hostility; feast on forgiveness. 

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others. 

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth. 

Fast from discouragements; feast on hope. 

Fast from facts that depress; feast on verities that uplift. 

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm. 

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire. 

Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity. 

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence. 
Peter Millar. Our Hearts Still Sing

This fasting and feasting is something I grabbed from my church bulletin, but I seriously believe that it is not just a church concept. Lent starts today, so these are my goals for the next forty days, but for me these words sit next to my bed and I look at them daily. They fuel my thoughts on things I can fast from and feast on every day. Because really isn't life so much better when we feast on what is really important and fast from all these little things that tend to take up our time and our thoughts anyway? 

For those of us celebrating Lent this year, I hope that whatever you fast from goes well. 

~Susan