The Journey of Lent Begins...

"Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment."
                                                             Joel 2:12-13


Today, with Ash Wednesday, we enter into the Lenten season.  I always see this as a time for a real "gut check."  What am I really made of?  What lies have I been telling myself?  What are the areas in my life that I have been choosing to ignore or pretending are no big deal?  Isn't it about time that I go back home and stop running from my Heavenly Father?

Jesus enters into the desert "immediately" after his baptism and is tempted by the devil.  Satan, feigning care or concern for the Lord's well-being, invites him to turn stones into bread.  But Christ is on to him.  In so many words, he rebukes the devil and affirms that he will never place the desires of the moment, such as hunger, before the truth of God's love and care.  What temporary desires, concerns, fears, drives to we keep putting before the One who literally wills and loves us into being at every single moment?

May we all do a little something extra this Lent in the hopes of growing closer to God the Father.  May we, like Christ, keep present that everlasting truth that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."  Let's try harder this year to put GOD first, and everything else a distant second.  May we all rush back into His arms in a spirit of true repentance.  God bless you all!