Lent

Lent is the period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. While I was not raised in the Lutheran or Catholic church, my husband and I have been participating in Lent with our children for several years now.


Why do we choose to celebrate Lent?

We enjoy taking this opportunity to focus for 40 days on the sacrifice Jesus made for each one of our lives. It's also a time for us to stay focused on God as a family.

This year, instead of only giving up something (individually) for Lent, we've decided to add something in as a family. We've agreed to all read the same scripture each evening, and then come together to discuss it! I'm so excited. Now that our kids are a little older (well, most of them!) we will be able to get into some great discussions.

I am curious, do you celebrate Lent? Why or why not? What are some good Lenten ideas you've had? Please leave a comment so we can all be blessed.

Thankful Thursday - A New Location

I want to thank every blogger who has ever linked up to my Thankful Thursday post in the past.  You are awesome, and God was glorified!

After taking a blog sabbatical, I felt led to let the Thankful Thursday post go.

Thankfully, God had led Greg over at Greg's General Store, to take the Thankful Thursday torch and continue with it (with a gorgeous new TT button, too!).  So please head on over to his blog to link up.

Today, I am thankful that God has provided a new host for Thankful Thursday, Greg!

Known by the Fruit

Matthew 7:20  "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

What kind of fruit does a Christian produce?  I have spent many hours pondering that thought.  And in one moment, my sweet, young, four year old, Tiffany gave me the answer:

My Tuesday morning Bible study group had just let out for the day, so I went to pick up Tiffany from the childcare room downstairs.  Thinking ahead, I took her to the bathroom before running errands.  While there, she said to me, "Mom, all of the kids here are NOT Christians!"

This statement threw me and I said, "Sure they are."

"Look, Mom, let me tell you why they aren't Christians. First, when we went to the gym to play, some of the girls kept trying to tackle me. Next, one boy took my necklace and tried to keep it away from me, even after I asked him to give it back to me! So you see, they aren't Christians!"

There it was...The simple answer to the above scripture. If they were Christians, certainly their fruit would have been different. The girls would have been nice and the boy would have been considerate. I am amazed that at the young age of four, children already see the fruit of Christianity.

I most certainly had been trying to complicate the scripture when in fact, it was as simple as just treating others kindly.

A Birthday Blessing

Today, February 22, 2010, I celebrate my 43rd birthday! I am so grateful to the Lord for so many things in my life and trying to list them all would take up too much space. Instead, I will share with you my favorite Psalm to celebrate God's goodness. I am especially thankful to God for calling me His child.

Psalm 139:1-18 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you."

Seasons of Change

It's been almost one month since I felt led to take a blog sabbatical.  The time has flown by! For those who were wondering, I am not working on a book.  I have been working on my articles and devotions, though. 

It has been a sweet time with the Lord.  My husband and I focused on the Lord and on His leading in our lives. We also ended up with almost two straight weeks with the kids at home, due to the snow. The meteorologists said that we have had more snow here in Virginia than in Buffalo New York!  Crazy winter.

I've missed visiting with all of you, and reading your encouraging comments.  I look forward to reconnecting with you all over the next few weeks.  I will be taking it slow as I need to stay focused on my "writing for publication" goal.  At this time, I am not ready to recommit to Thankful Thursday's postings.  Perhaps some time in the future I will take it on again, but for now I need to keep it light and loose. 

If you're here reading this post, leave me a comment so I can re-connect with you!

Acts 2:28  "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence."