Long, long ago in a land far, far away...
I had a little webspace called "Bebo." It was an interesting combination of personal profile information and status updates (akin to facebook) and a blog (you know, like here). I believe that My Space existed at this time, but fb was a relatively new phenomenon.
Here is what I posted on my Bebo blog on November 7, 2007:
Facebook?????
Okay, I object! We already have one fantastic place to post all our info and blog - do we really need another? I don't do well with change, girls, and I'm also very loyal. The bebo folks have worked hard to develop this site and I don't want to turn my back on them (lol). All these facebook invites are stressing me out - is everyone abandoning bebo? Boohooo......
P.S. I still haven't totally got the bebo technology down - remind me how to invite friends (I tried, but it will only let me choose friends from my hotmail account - how do I invite friends from my contacts in outlook?)?
Three short years later, and I have 200+ "friends" and am taking a much needed break from fb for Lent due to my continual wasting of time there.
I guess it just goes to show - the new, shiny technology always wins out (no matter how loyal we claim to be). In three years you'll probably find me sitting with a (ahem, cough, sputter) Mac. *shaking head vigorously *
Showing posts with label Lent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lent. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A Season of Sacrifice
In considering the season of Lent and doing a little bit of research, I have found it interesting to discover how many people believe that Lent does not apply to them; that it is purely a Catholic practice. Interested and intrigued, but not surprised. You see, in all my years as a Jesus follower I have attended some form of protestant evangelical church, and as far back as I can remember I have heard the word "Lent" during the Sunday sermon on the week just before Ash Wednesday. I must confess that I, too, believed that portion of the sermon as not applicable to me and my life.
I have begun to realize, though, that Lent is more of a mindset than a tradition.
Many people up give something for Lent, but it seems that they often choose something a little bit self-serving. For example, I cannot count the number of times I've heard people say, "I need to lose some weight anyway, so I'm giving up chocolate/sugar/soda pop/etc. for Lent."
The mindset of Lent does not look for self-serving, but rather for self-sacrificing.
On a tragic day in history, roughly 2000 years ago, the ultimate sacrifice was given. Jesus Christ, Son of the One True God, allowed Himself to be brutally beaten and murdered. He hung from a cross - the God-man who was perfect and flawless - and took the punishment for our wickedness, sinfulness, selfishness, pride, arrogance, hatred, greed, and cruelty. Praise be to God that Christ's death was only temporary (which is why we celebrate Easter) and He was raised from the dead.
As we come into the season of preparation for the ultimate sacrifice, should we not be preparing our hearts? What better way to prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Christ's death and resurrection than to sacrifice something in His honour?
Lent, as a mindset, asks the question, "Lord, what can I give up that will better help me to understand what You gave up?" It asks, "What is in my life that keeps getting in the way of me being like Christ?" It asks, "Who can I give to, out of love and obedience to my God, as an act of remembrance for what He gave for me?"
What we give up for Lent should not serve the purpose of "killing two birds with one stone." We should not look for "side benefit" results. Rather, what we give should inconvenience us. It should make us uncomfortable. Maybe it should even hurt a little bit. After all, while Christ hung dying for our sins, I do not imagine that it was convenient, comfortable, nor painless.
The result or side benefit we should seek after is to be sanctified (made more like Him, and less like the world). The mindset of Lent is all about the heart.
I have begun to realize, though, that Lent is more of a mindset than a tradition.
Many people up give something for Lent, but it seems that they often choose something a little bit self-serving. For example, I cannot count the number of times I've heard people say, "I need to lose some weight anyway, so I'm giving up chocolate/sugar/soda pop/etc. for Lent."
The mindset of Lent does not look for self-serving, but rather for self-sacrificing.
On a tragic day in history, roughly 2000 years ago, the ultimate sacrifice was given. Jesus Christ, Son of the One True God, allowed Himself to be brutally beaten and murdered. He hung from a cross - the God-man who was perfect and flawless - and took the punishment for our wickedness, sinfulness, selfishness, pride, arrogance, hatred, greed, and cruelty. Praise be to God that Christ's death was only temporary (which is why we celebrate Easter) and He was raised from the dead.
As we come into the season of preparation for the ultimate sacrifice, should we not be preparing our hearts? What better way to prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Christ's death and resurrection than to sacrifice something in His honour?
Lent, as a mindset, asks the question, "Lord, what can I give up that will better help me to understand what You gave up?" It asks, "What is in my life that keeps getting in the way of me being like Christ?" It asks, "Who can I give to, out of love and obedience to my God, as an act of remembrance for what He gave for me?"
What we give up for Lent should not serve the purpose of "killing two birds with one stone." We should not look for "side benefit" results. Rather, what we give should inconvenience us. It should make us uncomfortable. Maybe it should even hurt a little bit. After all, while Christ hung dying for our sins, I do not imagine that it was convenient, comfortable, nor painless.
The result or side benefit we should seek after is to be sanctified (made more like Him, and less like the world). The mindset of Lent is all about the heart.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Changing Old Patterns
I have a fairly routine life. I like it that way. In fact, I need it that way. If I don't have a schedule, nothing gets done!
There is a time in my day - each day - that I tend to leave blank on the schedule. Nap time. (No, I don't typically nap - but I have a stinkin' adorable two-year-old who does.) I feed the two youngest kids lunch, I put Bam-Bam down for his nap, I set up a movie for his older sister, and then it's "me time."
Around 1pm each day, I make my lunch and sit down at the computer to enjoy it. The plan is to do some blog reading and/or facebook surfing while I eat and digest, then to get up and be productive again. But I really have nothing scheduled for that time slot... So most days I surf blogs and facebook until 3 or 3:30pm. That's two-and-a-half hours of which less than one full hour is being used well.
And that is why I've decided to give up facebook for Lent. (I even had Pat go on and change my password last night, because I know I am weak and too easily give in to temptation.)
I don't know that fb causes any separation in my relationship with God. But I do know that it keeps me from being productive. I am not taking care of my home, I am not writing, I am not exercising, I am not really even thinking. Therefore, it is successfully preventing me from doing two or three very key things that I KNOW are God's will in my life.
I have a tendency towards procrastination and laziness, so I am aware how easy it would be for me to find another mindless task to fill those afternoon hours. To prevent that from happening, I plan to establish a new routine. I will still sit down for my lunch and read the blogs I love, but once I am done I will walk away from the computer and go to the solitude and sanctuary of my room. There I will take some time for intercessory prayer (which I don't do near enough of anyway) - I will let God direct how long I spend there. And following my prayer time I will do one of the three above-mentioned activities: exercise, write, or care for my home. Five days a week for a little over six weeks.
Hopefully, at the end of the season of Lent, I will look just a little bit less like me and a little more like Him.
There is a time in my day - each day - that I tend to leave blank on the schedule. Nap time. (No, I don't typically nap - but I have a stinkin' adorable two-year-old who does.) I feed the two youngest kids lunch, I put Bam-Bam down for his nap, I set up a movie for his older sister, and then it's "me time."
Around 1pm each day, I make my lunch and sit down at the computer to enjoy it. The plan is to do some blog reading and/or facebook surfing while I eat and digest, then to get up and be productive again. But I really have nothing scheduled for that time slot... So most days I surf blogs and facebook until 3 or 3:30pm. That's two-and-a-half hours of which less than one full hour is being used well.
And that is why I've decided to give up facebook for Lent. (I even had Pat go on and change my password last night, because I know I am weak and too easily give in to temptation.)
I don't know that fb causes any separation in my relationship with God. But I do know that it keeps me from being productive. I am not taking care of my home, I am not writing, I am not exercising, I am not really even thinking. Therefore, it is successfully preventing me from doing two or three very key things that I KNOW are God's will in my life.
I have a tendency towards procrastination and laziness, so I am aware how easy it would be for me to find another mindless task to fill those afternoon hours. To prevent that from happening, I plan to establish a new routine. I will still sit down for my lunch and read the blogs I love, but once I am done I will walk away from the computer and go to the solitude and sanctuary of my room. There I will take some time for intercessory prayer (which I don't do near enough of anyway) - I will let God direct how long I spend there. And following my prayer time I will do one of the three above-mentioned activities: exercise, write, or care for my home. Five days a week for a little over six weeks.
Hopefully, at the end of the season of Lent, I will look just a little bit less like me and a little more like Him.
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