Lent

So, I've never participated in Lent before.  I have never really understood it, and always thought it was a Catholic thing.  I've become more intrigued by it the last few years as I have seen more people participating in other denominations.  Well, yesterday was the first day of Lent, and I heard a radio program about it on Midday Connection on Moody.  The Lord pressed upon my heart that this year I needed to participate in Lent. 

For me, Lent is about giving up something in order to spend more time reflecting on why the cross was necessary & the time leading up to it.  It is time spent being still, and reflecting.  When I think of what Christ gave up for me at the cross, how can I not give up something for a few days?  Anything that I have to give up is nothing in comparison. 

One of the things that I didn't understand about Lent was giving something up for only a period of time.  I didn't understand the point of the limited time.  If you can give it up for 40 days, shouldn't you give it up for all your life?  The speakers on Midday Connection did a great job of explaining it, at least for me.  They said that Lent is a time to recalibrate and focus on our sins, and the sadness and ugliness that led to the cross.  It is a boundary experience.  We can't sit and wallow in our sadness and grief forever or we will not be able to do what the Lord has called us to do.  It is a time of fasting from something.  When we look at the end of the story of the cross, it ends in victory! Jesus rose from the grave!  Our time of sorrow and fasting ends too- and we can rejoice at Easter for the awesome victory that we now have through Jesus.

For Lent, I am giving up my downtime when I'm lying in bed at the end of the day.  I usually will plug my phone in, and then play games until I fall asleep.  It truly is mindless and a waste of time.  I have decided that for the next 40 days, I will use that time to pray for my friends and family in a specific way.  I have made a page for each person in a journal with a specific list of things to pray for.  I will devote that time that I wasted each night to spending time with the Lord.

I am looking forward to seeing how God uses this in my life this year, and seeing how He is going to grow me through this experience.  May we all take some time, whether it's an entire 40 days or not, to really reflect on the meaning of Easter this year. 

Running

I'm gonna do a full marathon.  I am.  My lofty goal was to do it this year as I turn 35.   As I do research, I think I will make it a goal to do one before I turn 40.  If I'm gonna run for 26 miles (ridiculous!!), I'm gonna make it good.  So, I think I'll focus on doing at least one half marathon this year, hopefully two.  And I think I'm gonna look into taking tap dance lessons, or clogging classes.  Watch out Dancing with the Stars!  Ha!