Lenten Journey Day 21

March 6
 

Let God’s Favors Lead You Closer to Him

“The sacraments, those masterpieces of divine ingenuity, were instituted not only to dower our souls with the riches of Heaven, but also to smooth for us the path of Christian righteousness so that we might run the way of God’s commandments with enlarged hearts and with a joy that earth knows not.”

The Christian Response to the “Yoga Wars”

There are a lot of valuable lessons to be learned by the ongoing “yoga wars” – the decades long battle between Christians who believe yoga is just exercise, and those who believe it’s a Hindu spiritual practice. One side has a tendency to look down on yoga enthusiasts as somehow less Christian then they are, while the other sees anyone who opposes their yoga workouts as “religious fanatics.” Thankfully, the Bible gives us clear instruction about how to conduct ourselves charitably when confronting conflict – regardless of what side we’re on.

Read the rest…

Study Finds Self-Esteem Lacking in Younger Women

While older women are better able to understand the importance of self-respect and to know how to ignore the seemingly perfect women found only in magazines, a new study has found that younger woman are still struggling to cope with negative feelings about themselves.

Read the rest…

Lenten Journey Day 20

March 5
 

Do Not Hunger for Special Graces

“It is the most cogent proof of our overweening pride to think that God gives us His best gifts just because we hanker after them. Humility is the price of God’s most precious favors. ‘Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord’ (Prov. 16:5). ‘God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble’ (James 4:6).”

YMCA and Non-Christian Fitness Programs

(Image courtesy of Wikicommons Media, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0)

ST writes: “With all the new age classes;{yoga, tai chi, pilates), and martial arts;(tai chi, karate), and SWAT taking place at the YMCA and any health club I’ve looked into, I avoid going to them even to ride a stationary bike or walk on the treadmill. People think I’m crazy, but I don’t want to be in an environment that will put my soul in danger. That is most important. I was told by a priest that as long as I don’t participate in these classes, that it would be OK to work out in these facilities.  I’m not feeling that he is correct.  What do you think?”

Read the rest…