Sunday, March 31, 2013

Thoughts on Lent

This year, I think for the first time ever, I felt led to participate in the season of Lent. I can't really explain why. I don't even fully understand what Lent is and means. I grew up in an independent Baptist church and never even heard the word until about 11th grade when my Catholic friends started talking about giving up soft drinks or sugar or dessert.

Now I can make the connection a little better. Lent challenges us to fast. And we fast from something we really enjoy. And when we are tempted by whatever we are fasting from, we turn to Jesus and pray for self control and for Him to satisfy the desires and longings of our heart, in hopes that as he satisfies the longing for a cupcake, he will turn and take over the sinful desires as well.

I never understood why people gave up a food for Lent. I get that historically it connects to the whole Fat Tuesday binge, and more importantly and appropriately, Jesus fasting for 40 days. 

But I don't feel any sin when I eat. I don't think I lack self-control in this area. Plus, I can't exactly fast well while pregnant...

So, I tried to look at what is a temptation in my life and what is a sin that I know is a problem. Part of my post about joy was that I have this ideal of what I should have. How I should look, what my baby should wear and I want the things that I see in magazines, on television, in all my tumblr reblogs. It was causing my discontentment with everything that I've been so so blessed with.

I cannot emphasize that enough. 

Jesus is blessing our socks off and I don't appreciate it. I overlook it and stare beyond and all the other things that might make it just that much better.

See, there is a problem.

So I've fasted from shopping for 40 days. I've fasted opening emails from stores that would tempt me with shiny models, or perfectly made bedrooms. I've fasted from walking around Target, just to see what they have. And it's been stinking hard. I don't think I had a shopping problem to begin with, I don't financially overextend us to get anything.  But I want things more than what I already have.

Then last night, I exclaimed to Nathan that I'm going on a shopping spree today! on Easter! To celebrate the freedom in His Rising!

Not. (a cupcake would have been easier).

In a last sting, I made Lent about success. About finally accomplishing a goal and then rewarding ... myself ...

Shew. And then imagine my let down when I realize, hey, it's the end of the month and we have rent, student loans, doctor bills, car insurance, and a car payment to make. 

No shopping for Shell just yet. Thank you Jesus. (and that's meant to sound sincere, not like the southern lady exclaiming for a sweet tea on the fourth of july.)

Thank you Jesus. Lent is about You. Easter is about You. It is about your sacrifice of giving yourself willingly on the cross in place of me. It is about loving me so much that you not only endured the most brutal beating and mocking, but you marked me as innocent in front of our Father, and told Him that You were the sinner, and that I am perfect. It is about the world being dark for three days and then You rising from the dead and showing the world that you are alive! That you have defeated death and sin meaning we have life. It is about you ascending to heaven in front of witnesses so that they would proclaim to the world (and eventually to me) that all of this is truth. 

Thank you Jesus. 

This is what Lent is for. It is not so that on Easter I finally get to scratch the forty day itch. It's that because of Easter, I can celebrate the freedom to rejoice in all that I have. 

Monday, March 25, 2013

A Saturday Lunch Date

Nathan and I have been slammed the past two weeks. With a show two weeks ago in Johnson City, my traveling to Roanoke for a shower, and preparing for another performance last Friday night, not to mention all the other activities that just take up a lot of time, we haven't had very much couple time.

This is something I want to remedy immediately especially knowing we won't have much quality time together after little buddy gets here.

So, I asked if I could have my husband on Saturday. That's right, you weren't invited.  And when he asked what I wanted to do I knew exactly the answer. I'd been eyeing a particular "Scoutmob" deal for a while at the The Red Bicycle, which is a little coffee and crepe shop in Germantown. And the thought of a fluffy crepe just really got my pregnancy cravings going.

So we went. And as per usual what he ordered was better than mine. But it was still delicious and hit the spot on a spring weekend morning.



I'm such a sucker for some coffee art.



I got a carmel apple crepe, which tasted just like apple pie.  Nathan had a maple bacon crepe which was stuffed with bacon, apples, cheddar, and drizzled with maple syrup. Man oh man was it delicious.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Fun with Stamps

One of the benefits of my career is that I (and everyone else in the office) gets regular visits from product reps who bring us tasty treats and leave us fun things - including their new products.

A few weeks ago we found a rad Eames stamp set in the finish library, and I brought it home to play around with.

So I pulled out a normal piece of print paper and went to town.


I had just bought a frame at target on clearance (the glass was cracked) so this piece of completely free art is waiting on the wall to inspire baby boy and influence his creative genes.

Do any fun projects lately?

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