Lent -- Day 1 of 40 (Repenting and I can't believe I just wrote that number)

Since today is the beginning of Lent, and of course it’s here and I have been left wondering what to do. Well tonight at our Ash Wednesday service, I was inspired. First of all to repent. For many things, but for one, my lack of repenting, and my lack of spreading the Word of Christ with others. Each and every day I am given opportunities to share my faith and I fail.

·        He gives me opportunities to wake up early and read my Bible, and I sleep in.

·        He shows me ways to serve Him and I look away.

·        He gives me lots of chances to love others and I chose to judge them.

·        He blesses me and my family with abundance and we are steady asking for more, not satisfied with what we are given.

·        He leads me to speak up for His kingdom and I am silent.

·        He wants me to BE BOLD (the most bold statement up in here is the "1 of 40" in the title), and I am a wall flower, watching and waiting for the unimportant to grab my attention.

·        He listens to my prayers, and wonders if I really want to see how much He loves me and what a mighty God He is.

Which reminds me of Brother Mike’s first sermon of the year, he challenged us with this:

“You need to be sure NOT to make the urgent things IMPORTANT, and MUST make the IMPORTANT things urgent.” A lot of the things in this age of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Netflix, emails, phone calls, texts – I could go on and on with different apps., etc., that vie for our time. It’s staggering. And sadly we make these seemingly urgent “updates” important. As our children, husbands, parents, Bibles, Bible Studies, prayers -- our “IMPORTANTS” – wave at us from the sidelines, waiting for their turn, which seems like an afterthought. I am feeling guilty as I write that…

So, with all of that said, I am committing each day (or more likely night…the waking up early is going to be a  struggle) during Lent, to start writing on here and sharing something or some way I have seen Christ move during that day. I am going to be more aware of the important and pay less attention to the less important momentary “urgencies.” I am going to look for opportunities to love, to be thankful for blessings, to speak up and be bold. I want to pray prayers that are sincere and real and not vague. Prayers with purpose, prayers with direction, and prayers with confidence.

I’m going to hold my babies, I’m going to really talk to them, not just ask them if they put their clothes up or did their homework. I am going to rock them (even the 7 year old). I am going to be intentional about the time we spend together as a family and not pawn them off on the TV or their Ipods. I’m going to try to say, “Just a minute,” and “Let me just finish Blah, Blah, Blah…” much less frequently.

This can only be done with concentrated prayer and Bible reading. And hopefully the next 40 days of Lent will be filled with the things of this life that are important and the things of the heavenly realm that are of Him. This writing project is going to hold me accountable. I’m excited, nervous, scared (did I really write 1 of 40), and that is just scratching the surface.

 And I’m going to only think about the things mentioned in Philippians 4:8-9 and I am going to do my best to put them into practice as Paul is telling us.

   ^“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

 …and if I get all that done (whew!) I’m going to do my best to catch Jimmy every night on the Tonight Show! YAY for 10:30!

 (I’m also going to do my best to post some of my “loves” of the moment each day too!)

 Should be FUN!!!