Lent

Ash Wednesday was a couple of weeks ago, and I had a hard time this year figuring out how to observe Lent.  I didn't grow up following the church calendar, so Lent is something that I choose to observe because I think it is a good way to ready my heart for Easter. In fasting from something in my life that is important to me, I am forced to have moments of discomfort, and in those moments I can stop and thank God for His ultimate sacrifice for my sins, and pray for those around the world who are in need.  Then when Easter comes, it is time to rejoice, because the sacrifice was paid, and Christ is risen!

This year I started reading a book called A Place At the Table by Chris Seay. This book encourages Christians to fast from actual food.  Not completely of course, but he suggests choosing the main foods of a third world country and only eating that for the 40 days of Lent.  His book also has 40 days of readings featuring people in poor areas of the world and the struggles they go through.  

I'm not following the book completely because I didn't think it was a good idea for me to eat only beans, rice, tortillas, etc., for 6 weeks.  Baby needs more diverse nutrients.  So instead I decided that I will make beans and rice once a week for dinner, and I will save any money that I normally would spend on myself for fun stuff and give it to a charity.  It's not much, but just a little bit helps me to remember what Christ did for me.