Preparing for Lent

Lent was a religious tradition that I was forced upon in childhood. Ash Wednesday is most vividly remembered because we all had crushed black ash on our head and we were supposed to be deep in thought about.....something????? Um, but what?  Back then I had no idea.
A few years ago, one of my sisters decided to 'give something up' during Lent. It got me thinking. What is this supposed to be all about? Now that I am a Christ follower and not just a Catholic religious bobble-head, I liked the idea, not for religious purposes. But to focus on giving something up (fasting), being more prayerful, more giving, and preparing for Easter. 
Time is all we've got really and we never know when ours is going to run out.  This season of Lent is a period of time - 46 days to be exact - 46 days to prepare heart and mind for another year of walking in His steps. To focus on fasting, prayer, giving and in preparation for one of the highlights in all Human history.  I believe now that if you come in expectation, excitement, anticipation that God will lift you into His purposes more fully, it will happen! 
Recently, I've been trying to eat healthier and in that quest, I've realized one thing.  If I don't prepare, it doesn't happen. When I've prepared foods, I eat much better. So it is with Lent. 
So here I am 5 days before Ash Wednesday, preparing for Lent.  I'm prepared for Lent to be different than anything I've expected before. There's an expectation in my heart that in these 46 days my heart, mind, body and soul will grow closer to the Lord and find new faith, life and grace waiting each day. These days aren't necessarily more divine than any other, but they lead up to the most divine day of the year that a Christian celebrates. I want Christ resurrected in my heart this season. That I would connect with all that He's given to make my life now, as I know it, a reality. His sacrifice. His glory. The expectations of His coming again. 
So how do we prepare for Lent? 
First, make the choice. Choose to fully embrace what these days can mean. A time and season to grow closer to the heart of God, to find special grace in your time of need. A time to shed away things that we have been allowed to remain much too long and hinder our hearts. A time to ask God for that greater desire to grow in Him this year. If we come to the season anticipating God to move and fully envision that He will, it will happen! 
So here's some good questions.
1) What does God want to give me this year in my walk with Him?  2) What will I give up (fast, abstain from) on Ash Wednesday?  3) What will I give up (fast, abstain from) during Lent? 
We know God wants to give us more spiritually than we could ever imagine. His word is racked full of examples. But we must be looking, anticipating, expecting. When we clear out - give up, abstain from, fast - things that require our time, attention, energy and love - God can fill in those places with His times, His attentions, His energy and His love.
I'm so ready for this! 

Selfies

Have you ever posted a selfie and really enjoyed it? I have with friends or on my way somewhere. It's become such a new phenom that "selfie" is a new word in the urban dictionary. 

Have you ever seen someone post a selfie and think, "oh, dear girl....WHY?"

Why are you degrading yourself when you're worth so much more? Sometimes in an effort to get a certain kind of attention, women/girls post incriminating selfies. 

A mother wrote a post for girls on her son's facebook account recently......Wow I love it! You can  read more here

And she ends it with, "Will you trust me? There are boys out there waiting and hoping for women of character. Some young men are fighting the daily uphill battle to keep their minds pure, and their thoughts praiseworthy – just like you. 

You are growing into a real beauty, inside and out. 

Act like her, speak like her, post like her." 

Let's give them something to talk about. Sadly people do judge based on the pics you post and if your taats are hanging out, 

Good word for girls today. 

Our Disfigurements This Christmas

"But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.....that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!   He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed." The Message (MSG) Isaiah 53:2-6

Whoever said life is easy lied to you.
It doesn't take long in this fallen world to recognize that life isn't fair, it's not always easy, it can be tough.

Can you count the wounds you've suffered at the hands of life thus far?
Can you count the little disfigurements that have deeply or persistently harmed or wounded you in some way?

Be honest. Doesn't matter if it seems like an insignificant blow. The time you were teased in 4th grade for not having the shoes everyone else was wearing at the time counts too. Oh, maybe you blew it off, you could care less. But deep down it slightly altered your perception of self. If you were honest. Or the boss who overlooked your qualifications and promoted someone else unjustly.Or maybe it's the more tragic losses in life. Loved ones die young. Abuse at the hands of an abuser. And darker clouds linger. To take a moment of honesty, there's been something said or done something that has caused us pain. And that's just it.

Every. Single. Little. Pain. Disfigurement. These little things in this world that crush down, rip into and tear at identity,  thoughts, and ultimately our view of the world and walk with the living God.

HE took it on himself to make us whole. To make US whole.

Do we even KNOW what that means?

Recently I've really enjoyed singing a song by Birdy called "People Help the People" and the lyrics are what stand out to me. Only God knows all the little things that cause a heart pain. They are not insignificant to him, and that's why He is cherished this world over. Grand abuses and small pains all layed on him.
"God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts
Guess he kissed the girls and made them cry
Those hard-faced queens of misadventure
God knows what is hiding in those weak and sunken lives
Fiery throngs of muted angels
Giving love but getting nothing back, oh
.....God knows what is hiding in this world of little consequence
Behind the tears, inside the lies
A thousand slowly dying sunsets
God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts
Guess the loneliness came knocking
No one needs to be alone, oh singin'"

He didn't come to make a huge display of all His God powers. He came to impact heart after heart, life after life. It wasn't some grandiose display like the Great Gatsby and all his glorious parties. Although when we celebrate what He has done in every heart He's done it, there will be party after party. Celebration after celebration to come in hearts of every generation. But unlike those who have power and wealth might pull out all the stops, God came gently. He was not attractive to look at. He suffered. He was well versed in the pains of this life, the little disfigurements that skew the big picture. And....

God knows what is hiding in those hearts.....
hiding in that world of little consequence.....
He carried this.

    our disfigurements,  

    our failures. 

    our sins and the sins done to us.
     

He took it all. And when we take all of Him, it made us whole.  

It was His delight to serve God as our living sacrifice. He chose to be crushed with our pains. 

Yet out of that darkness, out of every darkness in the crevice of every soul that has yet to still be healed, even there, God says it was all worth it. He is ready to make His home in us this Christmas. He was glad to do it. Why?

Our disfigurements nailed on Christ turn into our richest, extravegant blessings. Our righteousness.  Our right standing with God.

He looked death's loneliness and darkness in the face. 

He embraced the lowest place.

He took your dark world on His shoulders and carried it. 
And that's why He was born. The weight of it crushed him for one dark Friday night but two days later, those dark things were no longer on His shoulders but under His feet.  

Who can believe this message?
It's truly the greatest heart miracle when you do.
And when you do, you can rest assured that Christmas has come to you.

Don't Waste Your Life

Most of John Piper's works can become a bit 'heady' for me, but I really enjoyed reading his book "Don't Waste Your Life."

Besides the obvious inclusion that anything done for Christ's glory will last, it was also a sober reminder to focus on the important and get rid of the things that just don't matter much. That all of life is for the glory of God is something that's easy to remember when you're in the midst of just doing life. So this book came at a welcomed time and with some welcomed insights. Thanks Piper for keepin' it real.

Affectionately Desirous

There aren't many opportunities to share in conversations about Christ these days. Once in awhile conversations come up but it's not like it's part of my everyday experience any longer. 

Working on a college campus with students who were inquiring and curious meant that in the past, conversations came up naturally. Now that I'm a working professional, it's just different.

I read this quote today that I thought sums up what our responsibility is to be in life and it comes from the way that Paul was with people in new cities he went to.

"Our responsibility to proclaim the gospel is not to ‘red flag’ people who look like they need Jesus—we all do—it is to seek out relationship, love on people and live transparently. With gratitude, talk about the joys and blessings of your life: the beauty of creation, good food, forgiveness, laughter, a loving Savior, comfort in times of hardship, the body of Christ. Humbly let people into your struggles, always pointing to grace.....We are to be “affectionately desirous” of their souls, praying without ceasing for them, on our knees before God with the hope of rejoicing in their salvation—not just tolerant of where they are. If we really believe that Jesus is the only way to peace and joy and fullest life, then we cannot love them well without longing for their faith even as we enjoy them as friends and live life alongside them." 

Opportunities abound daily to love, to pray, to be in faith for those around me and no one may ever know it. This is the kindness and beauty of love. It's affectionately desirous in quiet prayers. 

Spoken Word

Tonight Emma and I went over to Art Walk's "Spoken Word" event hosted by the Holland Project at the Sierra Art Gallery. Inspired by Iain Watson's pieces, I wrote

Tonight I've been inspired by the spoken word
By the passion, the boldness, the message I've heard
It's been awhile since my mind ran free
But this might be a new day, a new dawn for me

What inspires artists to perfect their art?
If not the rapture, the rolling tide of a fresh new start.
I say it's time - for darkness in my mind to part.
A new day and I'm ready for the re-start

This resounding resurgent color scheme has proclaimed a new day
And these spoken words are dancing, they've come out to play
Their robed in radiant imagery that I can't ignore
And I'm standing here now with my feet to the floor

Stars, moon and sun giving light
My mind is an explosion and I'm back in the fight
Because tonight I've been inspired by the spoken word
and God willing, this won't be the last you've heard.

At War With My Vices

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better (wo)man." Benjamin Franklin

You know when you pick up a book and the writing style of the author is so similar to your voice in your head that you wonder if you wrote it - except you haven't experienced what's being written at the same level or depth, so you know it's not you.....??
That's what's happening while reading Jen Hatmaker's "7". To say it's been an easy read is misleading. More like I've jumped right in, tears and all because I see what I'm facing. My vices have had a vice grip on me but I'm loosening their power. The biggest vices are not simple but intertwined like a thread through a canvas quilt. To consider the waste in my life and do something about it requires a war cry.

While messing with my world, it's also exactly what I needed to read - reminders to simplify, to reduce, to take the low road and to be vigilant in it - for the rest of my life.

Looking at  just how privileged I am here in the United States with not much thought to others in a writing style that sounds like my voice to me has been a much needed kick in the arse!!

And today I'm frustrated with myself. The thing I say I want most - the thing that at other times in my world has riveted me to the core - has alluded me of late. I want to be more like the one individual in the entire world whose way with people and life has been the most impacting on me this far. And yet to be more like Christ Jesus in every day gut level ways is still just so far from me. It is the hardest daily thing I've ever done and it can get frustrating at times.

You want to walk out a challenge? Take Christ's words seriously and just try and live it out. Go ahead,  I dare you. Of late, my fare has been eeking out a life through mostly careless, thoughtless days with no real regard to what the man said. How did I get here? I'm tired of it. And I'm declaring war!

This is my prayer today. Come inside my house God and bring some coals, some wood, some matches. It's cold and lonely on the inside living this way and I want to feel your warmth and live in the light of your fire. Blow through my house, go to my foundations and take out anything that's grown up alongside the good. You can use those things as fuel for this fire. I want to be washed, cleansed, changed from the inside out.  I want to reduce.

"If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present." - Catherine Booth, Cofounder of the Salvation Army.