Remember the importance of journaling during these days. This helps to slow your thinking process so you can listen to the deeper movements within. As with prayer, don't be too concerned about "doing it right." Just jot down notes in your own style. What does the Scripture say to you? What questions does it raise? What revelations about God? About you? And before you go to bed at night, what was this day like? What were predominant thoughts and feelings? What was your sense of God like? This practice before bed time can help you become more aware of your life and of God's presence.

If you are adverse to journaling and want to do without this discipline, that’s fine, too, of course.

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Scripture Readings:
 Focus: God's love
A. Psalm 23

B. Matthew 6: 25-34

C. 1 John 4: 9-19

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End of day: How is it going with the media fast? What’s most difficult about doing this? What positive benefits do you notice?

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A prayer:
We love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your Son.
- A Prayer of St. Anselm

Hi Phil and others,

I am enjoying the retreat quite a lot so far. Yesterday's readings were so Good Newsy and affirming. I really enjoyed them. Almost too good to be true -- if there is such a thing as too good. I hope it continues in this vein throughout the rest of the retreat and that Phil hasn't stacked the deck somehow with the selections he chose.

I am doing notes in a journal of sorts.

As for the media fast, that is working out alright and provides me with more time to pursue other life tasks and to free up time for prayer and time for necessary chores. I confess that I opened an SP thread and for awhile got caught up in my being with the desire to respond to Jacques and Samson on the Teilhard thread. But I realized it would defeat the listening to the Lord that this retreat endeavors to accomplish, so I sidestepped responding. But it did take a tad of doing to let go, lol.

Meantime hasta la vista amigos. Y vaya con Dios!

Pop-pop

Hi Pop. Not to worry; there are some challenging readings to come.

The media fast may be one of the hardest to do during these hi tech times. I can relate to your struggle there.