This weekend I’ll be participating with my youth group in the 30 Hour Famine.  We’ll be partnering with Josh‘s group (Cornerstone Baptist) this year – a first for us.  Also different this year: the focus is more on fasting as a spiritual discipline rather than on education about world hunger and raising money for World Vision.  Don’t get me wrong: I think World Vision is a great organization doing great things.  I’ve enjoyed doing the famine, raising the money (we are raising money this year – for both World Vision and ECHO, a local organization helping the less fortunate in our community), and spending the time, sometimes the ENTIRE 30 hours, with the youth.  But, while I’ve enjoyed doing the 30 Hour Famine, I’ve also felt like I’ve been short-changing the youth as far as having a deep understanding of fasting goes.  The focus of the Famine is on helping others (a good thing).  The focus of fasting is on God and his kingdom (a better thing – naturally leads to helping others).  I really think this year’s Famine will be good.  We’ll help others, both locally and around the world.  But, more importantly, we’ll focus more on fasting as a spiritual discipline.  And I hope that those of us that participate will incorporate fasting as part of our life-long spiritual disciplines.  I’m thankful to have a good friend like Josh to partner with on this event.  We’ve set up a blog to help us as we experience the weekend.  I had the privilege today of scheduling posts written by Josh that contain many thought-provoking questions and heart-felt prayers.  I look forward to seeing how the groups utilize the blog and interact with one another as we seek to focus on God and his kingdom.  I look forward to seeing how God is going to change my life.