What is Lent?

What is Lent?

 

 My Crown of thorns plant that was started from a clipping from my Mom's plant and is now at least 3 feet tall.  It blossoms continually.  The thorns represent Christ's crown of thorns and the red blossoms, His drops of blood.  I love this plant as a daily reminder of our Lord.

• 
  
• Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday to Easter
• Sunday, during which Christians purify themselves
• by praying, fasting, repenting of their sins, and
• making changes and sacrifices in their lives. 
• The final week of Lent is called Holy Week; during
• this period, observant Christians reflect specifically
• on the last days of Jesus Christ's life.
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• 
  
• It is a good thing to repent of sinful activities, but that’s something Christians should do every day, not just during Lent. It’s a good thing to clearly identify oneself as a Christian, but, again, this should be an everyday identification. And it is good to remember that no ritual can make one’s heart right with God.
  
  LENT. The word "Lent" is derived from Old English lencten, meaning 'spring', the lengthening of days after winter is over. This was a period of spring fasting known in Old English as Lencten-Fasten, or in its abbreviated form, as Lencten or Lent. The ecclesiastical name for this once mandatory period of fasting is the Quadragesimal Fast, or the fast of the Forty Days, in imitation of the forty days of fasting performed by Jesus in the wilderness.

Yoder, Don. "Lent." Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Feb. 2013<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

My hubby used to tease me by saying he was giving

up stewed hummingbird wings for lent.  It is pledge to

yourself and to the Lord that you are giving something up for 40 days in His name and is a very good discipline for our mind and bodies.  

Many years ago, I was a light smoker and knew I 

should stop.  I quit for 3 yrs. twice but then went 

back to it again when stressed.  Well on the third try, 

I promised God I would not smoke any longer and you 

cannot go back on a promise to God.  I was 

successful and do not smoke to this day,giving it up 

at least 30 years ago.  I am grateful that Lent gave me 

the choice of giving up something that was not good 

for me.

   Making a small sacrifice for our Lord is easy to do

and very gratifying.  It is insignificant in comparison

to what Jesus gave for us, but large in a show of our

faith.

   I will not share what I have given up for this Lenten

season as the Bible instructs us not to wear our

fasting as a burden, to be cheerful.

  Thank you for coming and I hope you have been

blessed today.

My Christian heart to yours...