Last week, from Sunday to Sunday, was my church's annual week of prayer and fasting. Like he does every year, our pastor called the entire church to fast. What type of fast we did was entirely up to us. He just asked that we have 100% participation.

A few people I know of did juice fasts, but most of us did a modified Daniel fast of sorts. Some (myself among them) did a "media fast." For me, this meant that I did not watch any television or movies all week. 

Now, I do not consider myself a tv junkie. In fact, for years I did not watch television at all. But lately, I have grown very fond of Hulu. The truth is, I don't get any TV stations in my apartment; I do not have cable or a TiVo or DVR or anything of that technological ilk. But with Hulu, I can watch a variety of television programming any time, for free. So nowadays, especially after a long day of work, I come home, fix something to eat, and watch something on Hulu to "check out" for a bit.

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It seems like Christmas creeps up on us faster and faster with each passing year. Or maybe it's that I am getting old and so it seems that way.

With Christmas comes an ocean of emotions for many people. For some It’s a celebratory time and a joyful season. Some will gather with loved ones and share stories, exchange gifts and eat an abundance of food. For others, this season can be a very difficult time. Some people might feel guilt over unmet expectations they placed upon themselves as the year comes toa close. Women may feel disappointed that another year and has come and gone and they haven’t been able to get pregnant. Men may feel frustration over another unsuccessful year searching for work and provision for their families. And for many it’s a time of reflection and grieving over loved ones who have passed on.

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