I think the color of this camellia flower is exquisite. Maybe even beautiful enough for a wedding. My husband and I planted it to commemorate our marriage, representing the love that has gone into building our family. For those parents out there, you have to agree that being a parent is not for the faint of heart. It takes an overwhelming amount of love toward each other and for the children and the grandchildren.

This passage reminds me of Jesus’ words discussing the purpose and timing of a fast. Fasting was not to outdo another Rabbi’s spiritual discipline (i.e. John the Baptist or the Pharisees). Instead, it was meant to be a reflection of our longing for the Savior (referred to as “the bridegroom” in the passage).

When Jesus walked beside the disciples, he didn’t require them to fast. However, when he ascended back into heaven, the disciples fasted. We also at times may fast in order to focus on the One who matters more than satisfying our temporal needs.

He is eternal. He satisfies our need for a new and living way. When love is not found in our own heart. His love can fill us and make us new (like new wineskins).

Without a new wine skin, we are in danger of splitting at the seams, not useful to His kingdom but leaking one-line platitudes.

This verse from the KJV comes to mind: (Romans 5:5) “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

If the bridegroom did not leave, the Holy Spirit would not have come.

Thank you, LORD, for your tremendous gift. Your Son’s life, your love for the world and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to encourage us on our way as we hope in you. -Teresa

Mark 2: 18-22 (ESV)*

A Question About Fasting

¹⁸ Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁹ And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. ²¹ No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.²² And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”^[c]

*OneyearBibleonline