Lent

** You're invited to email me a prayer request, and I'll pray it for the season of Lent. More details below. Results not guaranteed. **

We're getting a late start on Lent, on account of spending Ash Wednesday in luxury and indulgence at Great Wolf Lodge.

My spiritual life is swirling, foggy, and muddy -- I used to have a lot more answers and assurance than I seem to now. Churchgoing remains a struggle. I eat too many snacks and spend too much time on the computer. Yes, there's definitely a need for Lent around here.

As a recap from years past, Lent isn't about cleaning up my messy life so God will love me more. I'm so tired of doing things to make sure I'm acceptable and that my faith is still okay. I'm actually doing a lot less for Lent now than I did when I first learned about it. It's about spending some concentrated time focusing on the Two Greatest Commandments: Love God, Love People.

(It's also a time of penitence, as opposed to celebration, which is nice because otherwise we might have dancing and feasting and have to call it "a Lent ball.")

So, I'm replacing a few indulgences with a few things of higher caliber. I can't maintain this standard all year, but usually can manage it -- barely -- for the forty days of Lent.

I'm giving up:
* Treats. This is hard for me. Basically the only reason I eat substantial meals is so I can have chocolate chips or cookies afterward.

* Facebook. Once a week. I'm not feeling the need to be a gung-ho acetic this year.

* Meat at supper once a week.

I'm taking on:
* Giving to charity. I hope to give a little bit of money to someone in need every week.

* Saying an "office" before bed every night. The night offices are set prayers and responses for evening, midnight, dawn, and morning. They're short and less familiar to me, which makes it easier for me to say them without buzzing interference from my past.

* Taking prayer requests for the season. I've done this two or three times in the past, and it's always rewarding for me. I really don't know how it's worked for the people I've prayed for. If you have something you'd like me to pray for, you can:

- Post it here on the blog -- anonymously is fine, although sign it with an initial so I have some reference for it;

- Email me at the penandgavel or the exaltedwater accounts;

- Message me on Facebook;

- Comment on Facebook.

The more, the better. It's not rollicking fun to do at the time, but looking back, praying for my friends is one of my favorite memories.

So, that's Lent for me. (DJ might want to post his own resolutions.) Operators are standing by to take your requests.

-- SJ