Lent...

It's not just the stuff in your pocket. Or is that spelled lint?

Okay, so I'm not a joker, but I am a lover of Lent. If you're a long time reader you might recall my post from 2008 discussing my thoughts on the subject and if you've known me for anytime at all, you've probably caught on to the fact that it remains my favorite time of year.

Even though it's my favorite, it sneaks up on me every year. I see it on my calendar, but it always hits me just a couple of days before that I need to make a decision about how to honor this time. It's gotten admittedly harder for me to chose what to do or not do during these 40 days. Perhaps it's difficult because I've also gotten in the habit of setting 100 different goals during New Year's Resolution time. I like making goals and sticking to them, what can I say?

This year I decided to add reading scripture every day. It hasn't been a daily practice for me for awhile, so I'm excited to get back in it. It's only been a couple of days, but I've been struck by some of the passages. In particular, Ezekiel 3:1-3: "And he said to me, 'Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.' So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.' So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth." I just find these sentences amazingly intense.

Additionally, I've giving up the f*bomb and sugar. I have mixed feelings about "bad" words because they are just words after all, so it's not the word I'm concerned about losing but the emotion behind it. And I have mixed feelings about giving up particular food for Lent, only because I think people use it as an excuse to diet and that bothers me. But I've done food related Lent observations before, and I'll do it again. I decided to give up sugar about two years ago because my body was in this tail spin and I discovered I had Candida and sugar is largely to blame. It only does terrible things to my body. Generally I'm pretty good and follow the "just say no" rule, but it's hard being in an office setting and being constantly tempted, and I've recently caved and I notice the negative effects it has on my body. So, why not give it up for Jesus, right?

I wanted to post some really neat Lenten devotionals and ideas that I've found, mostly have to do with the environment, but all the links or in my work email and I can't access it currently. So those will come later.

In the meantime, I saw this interesting blog on eating chocolate for Lent. Read it and let me know what you think. Particularly interesting for those interested in women's issues.