Spiritual Discipline

One of my classes this semester (and one of my favorites thus far) is a class I'm taking on Spiritual Disciplines. I wanted to share a quote from that class that encapsulates much of what I'm coming to believe about the Christian life. I think it speaks for itself, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

"A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates the ground, he plants the seeds, he waters the plants, and then the natural forces of the earth take over and up comes the grain. This is the way it is with the Spiritual Disciplines -- they are a way of sowing to the Spirit. The Disciplines are God's way of getting us into the ground; they put us where he can work within us and transform us. By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done...God has ordained the Disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we place ourselves where he can bless us."

-Celebration of Discipline

Call Me Ishmael

...or call me Dave. For some reason, whenever I meet new people, they frequently call me Dave. I'd say it is about 50-50 whether people call me my real name or call me Dave. Why always Dave? I have no idea. I don't know any famous "Daves" that I look like. However, I have been told that I look like Michael J. Fox. I'm not seeing it...

http://www.michaeljfox.org/