Someone Else's Food for Thought

Please, take the time to read this post... a few times... and reflect upon it.

Worthless or Worthwhile?

"God measures my worth by the love in my heart, the prayer on my lips, the faith deep within, the hope that never fails, the sufferings patiently endured and offered to God.  These are priceless.  These make a person worth more than the flowers in the fields, the birds in the air.... What is the treasure my heart really seeks?"

This is one of the snippets from the Lenten prayer book they handed out at church on Ash Wednesday...

Hm... Church... the very place I love to be... the institution, the community which I devoted 3-4 nights a week for almost the last two years.... has turned me away because I am a sinner.  It broke my heart - still breaks my heart.  And yet, as I said to my mom after it happened six short (but oh-so-long!) days ago, I have been hurt by people using Faith to justify their actions before, and while it is hard not to have a church, a home, a faith community, I have not lost my Faith.  I still have unconditional love in my heart.  I still have prayer on my lips.  I still have faith deep within - deeper than anyone but God could even begin to understand.  I am still a person worthy of love, of hope, of joy. 

The treasure my heart truly seeks is to be right with God, and I don't feel that my relationship with Him has been compromised at all, if anything, it has been strengthened.

I pray for anyone who has been judged, for anyone who has judged, and for anyone who feels they are less-than-worthy of God's love.  God loves you NO MATTER WHAT, as long as you love Him.

Monday, Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, LENT!

As we fast-approach the upcoming Lenten Season, let us start to prepare our souls for the journey through the desert...

One of the blogs I read had some really need guided questions to help us along in choosing our Lenten Promise:

• What habits do I engage in that are destructive to my spiritual health?
• To what material things am I too attached?
• What areas in my life are unbalanced?
• To what do I devote too much or not enough time?
• Where is my life heading?

Tonight, I plan to meditate on these.... I've already prepared for my positive change that I'm going to try to stick to, but now I need to find a way to really better myself, my spiritual life, find a better balance. 

Lent is Right Around the Corner!

Last year I chose to give up flour & sugar, and I lost 30 lbs- I've also managed to keep that weight off after integrating monitored amounts of flour & sugar back into my diet.

Last night, while planning for youth group, we were talking about this - what people "give up" for Lent... should it really be something so negative?  One suggestion that was put out there that I plan to do this year is this: Take a photo of something or someone for which/whom you are grateful & put that photo where you will see it through out the duration of Lent.  I figured that would be a good way for me to get back into photography and make sure I'm diligent about writing more again. 

What changes are you planning on making to better your life for Christ this year?