Stephen De La Vega

We live in days where some people pretend to be people they are not. They do this for their own gain, often with some sophistication of stealth. “Oh, dread.  Somebody stole my identity!” We also encounter people who pretend to be something they are not. For example, they might appear to be well-to-do, only to disguise dwindling bank accounts. We see only what they allow us to see. And still others don’t really want another person’s identity at all, but they would rather discredit us and shatter the noteworthy elements in our character. I hope I have not just described any of us. On second thought, I described myself sometimes (I mean often), at least when it comes to the second example, and I’m struggling to write this article because of it. I delayed the publish date two times because I’ve written just a couple paragraphs per day, only to rewrite them later. In fact, this article didn’t really start to come together until I wrote this confession. I guess the same is...

Have you ever tried fasting?  I mean fasting as an intentional step toward a deeper relationship with God or greater dependence on Him.  I understand there are many reasons to intentionally fast – some spiritual in nature and others legitimately not spiritual, like for the purposes of medical lab work.  This blog post is about my experience with an intentional fast for the purpose of depending more on God.  I imagine our experiences will differ, so this blog is not a lesson as much as it is an account.  It is also not a commentary or exegesis of Bible passages about fasting.  It is an expression of my own personal experience and results. So why did I fast?  I led a study on fasting.  It was the closing session of a series on a healthy spiritual diet.  So, on one hand, I did what a leader should do.  I led by example.  (Leaders:  Our message is superficial if we don’t lead by example.  Enough said.  Different...