My college pastor once commented, “There is a difference between studying the Bible and meeting the Author.” How tragic when we forget that simple truth! Bible study is important, but what is most important is encountering God in the text.

I didn’t always feel pretty as a teenager. I went through the usual gawky teen phase, with braces and acne and glasses. There were times when I wished that I looked like someone else.

I confess: I’ve never gone without a meal. In fact, I’ve never gone without a snack when I felt like I needed one. Fasting from food is something I’ve never seriously considered.

There are many postures for prayer in Christianity, but nearly all of them involve closing your eyes. I followed the eye-closing rule for prayer in church dutifully until my twenties.