What I Learned This Lent

Temptation. I go into Lent thinking I’m holier-than-thou and I come out of it humbled. I gave into temptation several times. Unlike Jesus, who resisted temptation in the desert, I gave into it. But, then again, I’m not Jesus.

Holier-than-thou out the window. But what I learned from this Lent is that temptation is all around. Especially when you think you can’t give into it. I learned that the more you think you can overcome any temptation the devil throws in your way, the more likely you are to give into it. To sin.

Temptation is not a sin. Giving into it is. It’s putting yourself before God. That’s what sin is in a nutshell.

Tough learning but that’s what Lent is about in my book. Temptation and how to deal with it. And there is only one way to overcome it. God. Keep Him by your side constantly.

I wish you a blessed Easter Sunday. He is risen!

The End of Lent Is in Sight!

I give up chocolate for Lent. Why? Because I’m a chocoholic (which I am big time!)? No, I give up something meaningful to reflect that the forty days are a time when Jesus in the desert prepared to save us. Giving up something important is just a reminder.

Jesus went into the desert, and gave up everything, even resisting temptation to eat and more, as preparation for His life journey. An earthly journey that ended up on the Cross.

Easter is in sight! Not just a time to indulge in chocolate or watch my granddaughter hunt for her first Easter eggs. But an uplifting time of light when we realize that Jesus died on the Cross to wipe out all our sins—past, present, and future. Ask for forgiveness, give forgiveness, and your sins and mine are forgiven. That’s the true miracle of Easter.

Sure, I can’t wait to binge on chocolate! And I can’t wait for the joy of Easter Sunday. It’s a great day. But I want to remember that every day should be a “Lent” day to remember what Jesus did, Lent to Cross, to sacrifice Himself for us and our sins.

Enjoy the week ahead!

Trudging Through Lent (Barely!)

Lent is a dark time for me. Not just because I give up chocolate—and I am addicted to chocolate—but because I try to live in the “desert.” For some reason I get tempted more and everything seems darker. It doesn’t help that spring has not sprung yet and the world is at war this year. Is it just me or do you feel the same?

I have to force myself to look ahead to the end of the desert. Focus on the prize of Jesus rising from the dead after sacrificing his earthly life for us. I know the end of the story but getting there is not easy.

I guess that’s the whole point of Lent. Being starved in that desert for 40 days until the glory of Jesus shines through.

It’s less than 3 weeks till Easter Sunday. These will be 3 tough weeks but the glory of God awaits. I dwell on the prize of the sacrifice of God’s only Son for us and our sins—past, present, and future. That’s worth all the chocolate, dreariness, temptations, and everything else happening in the world.

Hang in there, I tell myself and you. The GLORY and LIGHT of Jesus is coming!

Guard Your Joy!

Guard your joy like life itself. No joy and life becomes bleak. As the world seems to get darker by the day—shootings, war, more bad things—it’s easy to lose your joy. And sometimes just dealing with people can suck away your joy. Add to that the devil always looking to kill your joy and things can get bleak fast.

Jesus said that He came to give us life in abundance (John 10:10), which is joy. A joyful life is an abundant life.

There is no magic here. Guard your joy and don’t let anyone take it away. If you ever feel your joy slipping (or has already slipped) turn to Jesus. Talk to Him about getting back your joy. I know this may sound a bit crazy but it works. Trust me. Been there, done that.

Joy. Guard it like a rare gem. Don’t let anyone take it. Remember that Jesus came to take away all of our sins and to leave us with joy.

Have a joyful rest of the week!

Forgive Yourself First

In this season of Lent, there is a lot of talk about sin and redemption leading up to the Resurrection of Easter. I have learned the hard way that if you want to be forgiven by God, you first need to forgive yourself. You have to acknowledge what you did wrong, have a contrite heart, and then ask for forgiveness. But you always first have to forgive yourself.

Lent ends with Easter and Jesus dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. What Jesus did was take ALL of the sins of mankind—past, present, and future—and let those sins die on the Cross with Jesus’ human body. All sins are gone. If you believe in what Jesus did, you forgive yourself in acknowledging your sin(s), and ask for forgiveness with a contrite heart, your sins are forgiven. But there are no shortcuts.

I know this because I am a great sinner. I screw up all the time. I think it’s just part of being human. But I am getting better at not screwing up by staying as close to God as possible. I’m far from perfect but I try to be.

Take a good read of Psalm 51 where David realizes he screwed up BIG TIME! Read it carefully and meditate on it. Then, start by forgiving yourself. Don’t dwell on your sin(s). Repent and move on. But you have to mean it. You can’t just sluff it off.

Forgive yourself (and others) to be forgiven.

Enjoy the week ahead!

Where Do You Fall?

Jesus said it all too well in the Beatitudes. This wasn’t some pretty speech. This was a checklist of living. In this current era of power and politics, the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) stand out in stark contrast to the world today and our leaders. Read these, think about them, meditate on them, and ask yourself if you are truly living these as a real Christian:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
1Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Have a peaceful week ahead!

Boy, Will Hell Be Beyond Packed!

It’s one thing to not identify as a Christian. It’s entirely another to say you are a Christian but your actions are anything but Christian. The fastest one-way ticket to Hell is by flaunting your so-called Christianity but not practicing it. Worse yet, are actions that are clearly not Christian.

It seems I am wring a lot about this lately but that’s because there are a lot of so-called Christians out there who are clearly not Christians.

I know it seems like I am crossing the line a bit in being judgmental. After all, Jesus (Christ) said to look at the log in your own eye before seeing the speck in another’s eye. I am not trying to judge anyone. I’m just saying that there are a lot (a LOT!) of people out there touting their Christianity but doing the exact opposite of what Jesus commanded.

Jesus gave us one simple commandment. To LOVE. Not selectively but everyone. Not family and friends but everyone. Simple. You don’t LOVE and you don’t follow Jesus (Christ). Therefore, you are not a Christian. This couldn’t be simpler.

Hell is going to be overflowing. It will be hell!

Hope you have a GREAT rest of the week. Maybe think about this.

Rise of the Phony “christians”

I couldn’t help writing about this again because, unfortunately, the phony so-called “christians” are gaining. I won’t even dignify using an uppercase “C” to refer to these phony christians.

There is nothing complicated about this. A true Christian is just that—a follower of Jesus Christ. And Jesus gave us one simple commandment and that is to LOVE. Not just LOVE your spouse and family but to LOVE EVERYONE! You don’t LOVE, you are not a true Christian. You’re a phony christian.

There is no selection in the LOVE department. You LOVE all or you’re simply not a real follower of Jesus Christ—a true Christian.

Simple. Unfortunately, the phony christians spewing hate are winning out. You can stop them by being a real, true Christian. LOVE!

Have a great week ahead walking in LOVE.

Surgery, New Years, Blues & God

I had major surgery at the end of October. All went well and I fully healed. Great. But I couldn’t help feeling a little “down” going into this New Year. The surgery “blues” are a real thing but the New Year should be a time of renewal—a new beginning, an upbeat feeling. Not a time for the “blues.”

Whenever I feel a little down, I reach out to/for God. After all, He is always here less than a heartbeat away. And per my last post, I’m treating every day as Christmas. Letting Jesus Christ be reborn in me.

That said, it’s fine and normal to feel the “blues” on occasion. The trick is to look to God to pull you out before you sink further. Again, God is always less than a heartbeat away and waiting for you. This sounds simple but always rely on Him.

Have an UPBEAT week. And Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ever Day in 2026

That’s my New Year’s resolution. Make every day Christmas in 2026! I’m not talking about lights and presents. I’m talking about the birth of the Christ child. I’m talking about Jesus being reborn in me. Not just on Christmas day but every day.

What does this practically mean?

There is so much negativity in the world that I want to surround myself with positivity. That means keeping a positive outlook and shutting out all negative thinking. Not easy but that is my resolution.

Think about the Christmas story. Joseph could have renounced Mary. They could not have made the journey to Bethlehem. Too long, too hard. They could have stayed put there and not fled into Egypt. Negatives all around. But not totally comprehending the magnitude of what was happening, they stayed positive. They had to shut out the negatives.

Try it. Christmas in 2026. Not just on the 25th but every day.

Merry Christmas! And blessings for 2026!