Tag: EasterSunday

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!

Good Friday Every Day

Good Friday is an enigma. We call it “good” but it is this solemn day of mourning Jesus dying on the cross. I mean, what is “good” about that? And why have I titled this post to imply ever day should be a Good Friday. Here goes.

I think that Good Friday should be a day of reflection, not mourning. We should reflect on Jesus in human form taking all of our sins—past, present, and future—and pinning them to the cross he hung and died on. No wonder the “human” side of Jesus sweated blood in the garden even thinking about the enormity of that task. I don’t think the sweating blood was over the pain, suffering, and death to come. It was the daunting task of taking all that sinfulness and wiping it out.

I don’t think that we should use one day to mourn what Jesus did. I think that every single day we should reflect on what He did and give thanks for it. Not one day. Every day. That’s why I intend to keep Good Friday every day.

Forget about sins of humanity past and to come. There is so much sinfulness in the world today that just wiping those present sins out is a mind-boggling, incomprehensible task. Thank you, Jesus!

Don’t ever forget that your sins—past, present, and future—are forgotten if you reflect on them, repent, and then ask for forgiveness. That’s the message of Good Friday and the message for every day.

Have a wonderful, blessed Easter Sunday. Jesus has risen! Rise up with Him!