To the Desert Fathers and Mothers fasting and weeping were not simply disciplines, but they were lifestyles that enabled them to embrace a deeper, more intimate union with the Spirit of God.

When external matters define you, you begin to sacrifice your humanity for something material. You are a not an Apple, Android, Honda, Ford, Mac, or PC person. You are you.

This is the power of the gospel, Christ died while we were sinners. He did not die for your perfection, he died for your brokenness.

For most, practical wisdom is not found in systematic approaches. Sure, you can broadly group the sayings and writings into categories like the active and contemplative life, but who is the one being helped with those categories?

“A mind without purity cannot approach the knowledge of God; if it tries, it tires the body out, but without achieving anything.”

“I am aware that the strength of the Lord surrounds my weakness like a wall of bronze, and there is no other power that can rise against it."