Flawless Friday

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Questions to Ponder, Part 3

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I'm still trying to get used to this whole blogging thing.  I never remember to come back and update.  This takes an extraordinary amount of time and well......This brings me back to the lenten season.  For all my good intentions, I have not lived up to any of the things (which I didn't verbalize here) I wanted to during this time.  I haven't spent as much time in my formal prayer life as I vowed to do.  Mind you, I talk to God all the time, but I wanted to be able to spend time humbling myself on my knees every morning and night rather than these chats that I carry on throughout the day.  It's nothing wrong with those chats, God welcomes fellowship with him in any form, but it was just something I wanted to do, and just didn't.  Now he'll forgive me for that.  The beauty of this season is that it's a reminder that God is a loving God, and he'll forgive ANYTHING, and for that I am grateful.

But that's just one of the things I didn't do and I've been sorta beating myself up for it.  So.....I've asked God to forgive me for not living up to the standards I set for myself, and I thanked him for allowing me to RECOGNIZE the areas where I have fallen short, and I have (and will continue) to ask for more strength to do the things I need to do in my quest to become a better wife, mother, sister, friend, aunt, cousin, in-law, and any other hat I wear that I didn't mention.

How about you?  Did you make any sacrifices symbolizing God's sacrifice this season for us?  How'd you do?

Questions to Ponder, Part II

Am I as thoughtful and forgiving of family as others, or do I take my frustrations out on them?
It's a funny thing about family. We know each other best-warts and all, and yet that seems to give us carte blanche to behave any way we want. You don't always have to be at your best and you know it. Family loves you anyway. It's that knowing, that confidence in the unconditional love that we have for each other that oftentimes gives us an excuse to act in ways with our loved ones that we wouldn't dare act with anyone else. It should be the exact opposite shouldn't it? It's the same way with God. He knows us, warts and all right? He loves us anyway, and it's that knowing, that confidence in his unconditional love and forgiveness that we take for granted. When everyone and everything leaves-family remains. It's the same way with God. Meditate on it and make a conscience effort to be more thoughtful and patient with those who know you best, and love you anyway.

Questions to Ponder

Our Lenten Bulletin asked questions for each of us to examine, I'll list them here a couple at a time throughout the season.

Am I sharing gladly what I have with others, especially the stranger and the poor?
Don't act like you haven't been there when $ 20 dollars may as well have been $2,000. Someone shared with you when you had a need. You never know how a small simple action can change someone's day, or even change their life. Here is something to really keep in mind: It does NOT have to be money. It can be a ride to the store, keeping a friends' child overnight so she can work, a book, a smile, a genuine compliment-ANYTHING-you get the picture. Don't think of any payoff or payback. Just keep in mind the principle of karma: What goes around-comes around.

Do I have a gracious and patient attitude with others, especially those that irritate me?
Did you laugh out loud? This is extremely hard, but it can be done if you only keep in mind that God made us ALL different. I've learned the reason people irritate me is because they're NOT ME. They don't do or say things in the way that I would do them. And thank God they don't-and who am I to be irritated? It is highly unlikely that you'll find anyone out there who would say that I irritate them..right? Did you laugh out loud again? I know people can rub you the wrong way and you don't even know why. That doesn't give any of us the right to act on that. Be gracious (more on that later), show some patience. You never know, after a while, that person may respond to you by being a little less irritating, and they won't even know it. You must be the change you want to see-Ghandi and all that.....

Lenten Season 2010

LONG BUT GOOD POST WARNING!

The family went to church this Sunday. Just for the record, we go to church every Sunday (plus or minus a few soccer/basketball games) so don't think this is me "fronting" for Easter. The handout in our bulletin contained wonderful information regarding Lent:

Why 40 days? Because, Jesus fasted and was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. Lent, then, is our time of fasting, prayer, temptation and repentance. Lent is not required anywhere in the scriptures, but it has been a custom, which Christians have practiced for most of the last two thousand years.

In many languages, the word "Lent" actually means "fast". This is where the custom of giving up something for Lent originated.

Just to confuse things, Lent is actually 46 days rather than 40 days. Why? Because the 40 days of Lent are supposed to be days of fasting, which means self discipline and self-restraint. But Sunday, the Lord's Day, should never be a day of fasting, but a day of celebration! So each Sunday we suspend our Lenten disciplines and celebrate. Lent is 40 "fasting" days spread out over a total of 46 days beginning on Ash Wednesday.

The focus of Lent was always threefold:

1. It was a time to prepare new converts for baptism through intensive classes and instruction.
2. It was a time for long-standing Christians to review their lives and renew their commitment to Jesus Christ.
3. It was a time for backsliders to be restored to the faith.

In every case, it is a time for serious, disciplined self-examination, a time spent in intensive prayer and repentance before the cross of Calvary.

To represent the dark and serious business of Lent, one custom has been to strip the sanctuary of all flowers, candles, and colors during Lent. This custom helps us to turn inward and examine ourselves, even as it reminds us of the dark and colorless Sabbath Day when Jesus lay dead in the tomb. Put simply, Lent is a time to examine ourselves carefully.

And you thought Lent was created just to make you give up chocolate huh?
Let me know what/if you're sacrificing for Lent.