Thursday, February 02, 2006

Lent

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things.


My friend Jules has been talking about the upcoming Lent season over on her blog and it has me thinking too. For the last two years I've given something up. Made a personalsacrificee. Something that it's really hard to live without for 46 days. Both years I've given up pop (my favorite thing to drink in the whole wide world!) and last year I gave up chocolate too. I did manage to go all 46 days but not without some complaining. The pop last year was easy it was the chocolate that I had a hard time with. As you might recall Lent ran through February and part of March. Well, that meant that Lent ran through my birthday, Valentine's Day, AND Peanut's birthday.

This year it doesn't start until March 1 so it'll just run through Peanut's birthday. I'm planning on doing the pop thing again this year too. I've been told by several people that it's easier to go to diet pop once you've taken a break from the real stuff. I'll see if this is true for me.

But this verse fromPhilippianss keeps coming at me. For two weeks in a row pastor has gone over it on Wednesday Night and it pops into my mind at different times of the day.

God, you want me to do WHAT?!??

For 46 days I am going to try my very very hardest to follow this verse. Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy I will meditate on these things. I think this might be the hardest Lent so far. But I'm up to the challenge. I think I'll have to make some copies of this verse and tape them to my computer at home and work, in my car, on my desk, beside my bed, on the fridge, everywhere that I am.

And just for the "fun" of it, I'm actually going to start today.... you know, after I spend the morning griping about my co-workers to other people... yeah, today is a good day to start.

I may spend ALL day Easter venting about the crap that goes on, or perhaps come Easter you'll see a brand new person (those of you that get to see me). I might even get to grow a little bit spiritually, wouldn't THAT be cool?


Ok, 10 minutes down and 72 days, 10 hours and 3 minutes to go! Praise God!

3 comments:

grannyfiddler said...

if you can put that into practice, my bet is the biggest change you'll see is in the way YOU see OTHER people. and yourself.

someone gave me a little prayer, years ago, to pray when dealing with other people... "Lord, let me see this person as you see them" and that was when i began to learn what empathy means.

many blessings

HeyJules said...

Leslee, that's such a wonderful idea! I've been trying to think up special ways to make this lent really significant to me and that might just be one of them!

Leslee said...

Glad to help Jules!