Faithfully Observe The 2008 Season Of Lent

Christos Anesti!!

I was out and about all day. As I headed home I realized it was time for The Mass of The Lord’s Supper. I turned left and not right to go home. I went to Mass. I walked into church and a friend of mine was organizing those people who would have their feet washed by the priest. Twelve are chosen. He was short three, I was wearing sandals. I was chosen. It was a very special moment for me. This was the church I had left for a variety of reasons. This was the one Priest in the whole valley I could not seem to get along with. We have a love/hate relationship. And on this night he would wash my feet. I will admit here that I am vain. I have had staph at this point for nearly three months. On order of my dermatologist I am not allowed pedicures, painted nails or to shave my legs. AND I am about to have my feet washed by a man who has stated to others that he can’t stand me. We are now in each other’s path, an interesting crossroads. Healing is an amazing thing and it comes when you least expect it and in the strangest ways. As Father knelt to wash my foot I reach over to hold his forearm. Our eyes met and there was a wonderful smile one for the other. The irony of the moment was not lost. Deep Breath! God is Good.

I am still walking with the Lord. I have noticed that may people once the Lenten season is over, drop it and walk away. It is sad that God is only thought about once a year by people and then filed away like some old book.

I have been doing a lot lately so I haven’t been on 43things alot. I have been doing many things for the Lord. Going to church and attending Sunday School regularly, meeting new friends in my church as well as having a good connection with other Christians in a Christian Chat room online.

At first I was disappointed in the slowness of the revelations of God, but now I know that God answers in His time and not mine.

Wonderful things have been happening. I am also going to be talking to a patent attorney about my scripture idea that I have been using for months. I am nervous, but I know that God wants to move with this idea. Most of the time, If I get an idea, I just laid it down and never pick it back up. God has place wonderful people in my life to keep this idea moving.

He has arisen. Arisen indeed, yet I wonder how many people have arisen to the allow God work in their lives, and truly listen to what He has to say.

Lent is to understand and relate to Jesus’ sacrifice in the desert, and his suffering on the cross. But when that wonderful Easter arrives, it is now for us to make a next step. One in which we walk with Jesus everyday. Allow God to be part of our everyday lives, in all that we do.

We are all in a closed room in so many ways, yet Jesus is with us just as He appeared to the the apostles. As well many around us are still Doubting Thomas beause they don’t see Him. Yet, we are blessed because we do not see, yet we still believe.

We have faith and continue to walk in faith.

Sigh..it is a wonderful thing. The love of God.

I’m currently struggling with trying not to eat anything this a.m. at work…

I ended up celebrating Western Easter in Oxford, but was glad to go to the Russian Orthodox parish the following Sunday in Oxford.

Glad to hear the success stories from you Westerners. Keep your Eastern friends in prayer if you think about it. :)

Happy Easter to everyone. I had an amazing Triduum. Going in feeling so grateful and peaceful from my retreat helped.

What I think I loved the most was how personal Good Friday felt this year.  It wasn't an intellectual thing for me this year. It was a heart thing. To delve into some tough personal stuff and come out feeling life being resurrected and the stones around the tomb carried away.

The day of Easter was also such a joyful experience with my community of friends.  Very joyful and happy. I had to stop a few times during the day and think..

I'm ready to take on life now. I think for now to finish some of things I've started, so I can clear out the old and bring in the new!

Thanks to everyone who was on this goal!!

Apparently my 40-day period in the desert this year is going to involve getting through a bout with shingles, and I experienced a number of angels ministering to me yesterday and today.

I wrote these words back at the beginning of February, over 6 weeks ago. In some sense, this has been period in a dry and arid desert. I was not able to do my normal activities because of my illness. I was not able to get out and about as much. I was stuck, and I was hurting. The desert was being right here in my messy house, sitting at this messy desk, struggling with impatience over my 43-Things goals and my lack of progress, struggling with temptation to feel sorry for myself and to worry and procrastinate.

And yet, in the midst of this desert, I discovered hidden springs of living water. I discovered others attempting to faithfully observe Lent in their own ways and report on their progress. I discovered time to read and pray and meditate. I discovered time to rest and to heal. I discovered time to spend on 43-Things: working on flylady babysteps; reading more entries; writing more daily goals and gratitude lists; writing more comments and giving more cheers; gathering up the cheers and comments I received and knitting them into extra gumption. Gumption to keep wrestling with my old demons, and to dare to try a few new goals. I discovered friends and family who didn’t desert me. And when I did manage to get out, I discovered and appreciated the smallest signs of spring, of new life, of resurrection.

I didnt post anything because I made lent somewhat personal this year, but it was very blessed. Hope it was the same for all of you!

The conclusion of Lent is not a time to check our score card to determine if we have held fast to our promise to not eat chocolate, or pull our kid sisters hair, but rather a time to reflect on those things that keep us from God, and being everything He created in us.

Lamb of God You Take Away The Sins Of The World

Now is the time to give away those things that are keeping us from being everything we were created to be. It’s a time to cast away the self doubt that has held us back in our careers, its time to cast away the “if only’s” and embrace the “if I just do this little bit more’s”, its a time to forgive those who hurt us so we can be free ourselves.

Casting away the things that are keeping us from being all God created will create in us a new life.

through Good Friday to become Easter, I am grateful to have the companionship of others on this goal. Some adopted the goal themselves. Some left wonderful comments. My venture into reading books written by Henri Nouwen will continue, and will hopefully continue to transform my life. I truly feel blessed.

Tonight I went to the Maundy Thursday service at my church. It was a sort of “Lessons and Carols” type of service, with 7 different Bible passages from the Passion narratives in the Gospels, each followed by a corresponding piece of music. The account of the Last Supper was followed by communion.

I never knew what the word “Maundy” referred to before, so just now I looked it up on Wikipedia. I was interested to learn that “Maundy” comes from the first word of the latin phrase “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos” (“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you”), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. Some churches perform a foot-washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday, but mine does not.