Lent is coming!

WOW! It's hard to believe we are moving into the Lenten season , once again. Once again I face the 40 days journey towards the cross. I have been teaching my Sunday School kids at CTK about Lent. I grew up Methodist and , while we did celebrate the beginning of Ash Wednesday (after Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday) ---we generally hopped from Ash Wednesday to Holy Week. Maybe we did do some Ash Wednesday stuff, but I don't recall it. Maybe we did. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention, who knows. That is, until we moved to Riverchase and started going to Riverchase UMC . They observed, (but didn't touch too much on), the Journey of Lent. By "touching on" I mean, they offered Lenten Devotionals that members of the congregation submitted in a booklet, had Pancake Sunday, but that's about it. The church colors were changed appropriately but nothing big on the agenda (again, that I can totally recall). But, for some reason (GOD?) my heart was totally turned towards these 40 days before Easter. Two reasons, really. One: Christmas always seems to be filled with so much that it's hard to sometimes grasp the significance of the day when so much emphasis is put on the holidays and preparation for Christmas Day. I've personally always been a bit disappointed on Christmas Day b/c the excitement and preparation come to a screeching halt. Christmas Eve is and always has been my favorite. The excitement / being with our kids and grands at lunch on Christmas Eve and the Candlelight service singing "Silent Night" heralds the birth of Jesus. I LOVE Christmas Eve. (and we always used to go see Mimi on Christmas Eve as well )... And at the Christmas Eve service at church, I am catapulted into a field in Bethlehem walking towards the Manger. It's so moving to me--holding high our lit candles and singing. Then, Christmas Day comes, and it's over. The focus on gifts and visiting (which I do love) but that special moment is gone in the hustle and bustle....Then comes number two reason :And almost on the heels of that, comes, quickly---Shrove Tuesday. Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday. We used to have Pancake Sunday at Riverchase---many churches still do that as well--used to be "hot cross buns" in earlier centuries where people would eat sticky buns and share them. Again, feasting on rich  foods (thus the "fat Tuesday) in looking towards some who might "give up" some rich foods as part of their repentance in their fasting. Some people fast a day a week. Or fast from certain foods for 40 days. (Natalie gave up one of her favs, sweet tea, one year! Milos tea, to be exact. LOL). Giving up wine/alcohol. Giving up fast foods.  But not just giving up foods. Some give up something they love for 40 days---T.V. or computer time. I, for the past now , 3 years, give up FaceBook. You might laugh! But it's not easy! I find myself getting on several times a day. Making that discipline to NOT get on to "see what's going on" is hard for me. I'm social. I like to connect with friends. I love to post pix . I love the whole idea of connecting with those I love that I might not "see" otherwise. But, by "giving up" that for 40 days, I make myself take the early morning time I usually spend on FB and spend it trying to spend with God. Bible study/ writing more/ connecting more with the Holy Spirit. And, as hard as it begins, I almost dread the 40 days when it ends. Because I come out of the 40 days a better Janice. Every. Single. Time. So, Lent for me is like looking forward to taking a walk. To be honest, I don't LIKE walking. I am always thinking "how much longer" when I'm walking. I can almost say I hate it. Until. Until I put on my head phones and listen to praise music. Or  look around at the beauty of the woods. Or start talking to God. Or better yet, listening to Him. Then, afterwards I feel refreshed. Kind of like on Christmas Eve night. I feel expectant. I feel in tune. I feel in touch with the One who is calling me......
so, yes, it is "that" time. That time I look forward to lean towards and pull away. That time I feel connected to God and dis-connected to friends. I am one who needs discipline. And lots of it. I've always been a rebel and yet I know in my struggle, I always want to land in His arms. Most of the times when things go awry I go running to Him. Just like I used to, to Mimi when I was little. "fix this. take care of this. Change this. Make it better". And , no matter if it was "fixed", I was better by running into those arms, despite the problem.  And, so each day, I fall into His everlasting arms....well, most days. I do try. But, during Lent, it's easier to do. And why is that? Because I am focusing on HIM. Not like during Christmas when I am focusing on gifts to give or parties to attend. During Lent there is no joyful celebrations. It's a sobering time. A time to have to self examine my priorities. A time of repentance. A time to really not just repent of my sins, but leave them with God....

For 63 years I was a Methodist. And loved my denomination---from family heritage and connecting with my faith. But, last year we began visiting the Anglican Church (of all things). I didn't know what an Anglican was! Now I know that John Wesley, who , after his death was considered the founder of the Methodist church (because of his "method" of teaching) was, indeed, an Anglican priest until he died! Interesting to me!  The Anglican church just fit this phase of our lives. WE ARE NOW ANGLICANS! (I know, I know, for the millionth time "you need to change your email address" aka Imamethodist, lol).We joined the church! changed denominations. We go to Christ the King Anglican church and we knew after we had been there after one service we had our new church home (another blog entry for another time). After almost a year, we joined. It is much like our old Methodist roots, but different too. (And our church mixes old and new music which I love). But, the difference is the holiness of the service that I didn't know I was craving until I experienced it. I needed that which I had no idea I was seeking. And the result was life changing/ overwhelming and miraculous. I had been stuck in the same old/same old for years. And suddenly I was in new joy/new joy and I didn't know what to do with it. I (we) found our new niche. And, not just me. Terry too! We BOTH felt the same exact way. And we had been searching and looking at different churches for quite awhile. I was beginning to feel like it was impossible to find what I was searching for (I didn't know!). We tried non-denominational (COH). we tried Briarwood Presby.. we tried other Meth. churches. We tried and tried and TRIED, I tell you. And I was almost giving up. But God led us and called us to where we are. There are certain things (among MANY others, but some that are core to us ) that we believe: The virgin birth(yes, believe it or not, some pastors don't believe in the virgin birth. I know, shocking and odd)/ hell (did you know there are more references to hell than heaven in the Bible? Again, many pastors only believe in what I call "the grace factor"--all grace/no judgment/ no hell ?)/ we firmly disagree with  abortion(big for us and our church is big in Pro Life, yay! The abortion issue is another issue the Methodists(the denomination that is) can't take a stand on, ugh)/ We also do not believe in gay marriage (sorry, don't argue with me on that one-- this is the Anglican stand on gay marriage as well)--doesn't mean to not love the gay community, just don't sanctify that which is not biblical) -- a few of our beliefs just to name a few that we (me and Big T) are firm on. (hey, just putting it out there. If you don't agree, that's fine, its OUR beliefs, not changing them, and  hey, it's my blog page, lol. Don't try to change our minds either). Let me say right here, we love with the love of God.And I soooo believe in the grace of God (my Methodist roots) but I also know,  that there IS  a judgment day.I'm not a "Bible thumper". I don't judge people except by God's standards. I won't stand out and scream my beliefs. But I have them and they are strong. And , don't sugar coat the issues with me. There is wrong and there is right. So, if someone makes a choice,  and expresses it to me, I might not agree with them but I'll love them and at the same time,  I'll keep my mouth shut and keep my own beliefs: thank you very much (and won't argue with you unless you come at me with claws. Then, be ready ! LOL).....

.Off the path, somewhat of Lent, but not really. It was at CTK that this season of Lent FINALLY made sense. And it was a true epiphany to me to finally line it all up in my heart, even though I knew it in my brain. I'm a slow learner. I admit it! But, once I "get something", I get it......So, off to Lent, my friends. I will be off FB for 40 days. I know, I know, you can go off of fasts, etc., on week-ends, but I can't. Because if I did, it would be over. I'd feel I was cheating and throw in the towel. I'm stubborn like that. I'll be studying the Bible through studies, etc. every morning. Ok, realistically, I will TRY to do some sort of study every single morning. Really try. Not because it's required of me. God doesn't require us to study, but He calls me to do so. And so , like taking that walk, I go, sometimes complaining but ALWAYS afterwards in tears of thanksgiving.

see you on Easter.

P.S. The pix are from some of the Lenten things I have done with the children of CTK this year. (those kids are amazing--they "get it").