Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Lent

Welcome to Lent, the Christian season of reflection, self-denial, pennance, prayer and almsgiving. This year for Lent, instead of focusing so much on the "easy pickings" of self denial, I am going to focus more on self improvement and giving. Sure, I have placed ice cream and diet coke on the "banned substances list" until Easter, and that goes hand in hand with my weight loss and fitness plan. But more importantly, I plan to spend focused quiet time with God each day, and journal a bit about what I experience and what I learn, in an effort to grow closer to God and learn what he needs me to be doing to be of service to Him and those around me. So, that's the plan for the coming weeks.

Tonight's time with God occured at Ash Wednesday Mass. I have been unable to get to Mass on a regular basis over the past month or so and I have been feeling a little disconnected from the worship perspective. So, tonight's Mass was especially meaningful for me. I received ashes and the Eucharist, and immediately felt the warmth and connection to God in the singing, the quiet, and the prayer. We had a soup and sandwich supper in the fellowship hall afterwards and the fellowship was amazing. I had been developing a resentment with a particular couple, and don't you know God saw fit to seat us together, and helped me to work through it without causing a big stink.

I let God take me tonight to where He needed me and it resulted in an inspiring evening. So inspiring that I came home, hit the laptop and wrote my entire lesson plan for next week's CCD class. I can say that writing sure has become a release for me. I feel spiritually connected when I write, and the whole process inspires me to do more.

I hope that whatever faith you practice or don't practice, that you find time to slow down, reflect and work on yourself this spring. Be well, and see you soon :-)

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