The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:8-14
Today begins the Lenten season, a time of reflection and preparation, turning our hearts and minds towards the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Each year, Jeff and I observe Lent by giving up a habit or behavior as a small exercise in self-denial. Many years we give up the same thing; however, this year we have chosen our own.
Taking inspiration from Jen Hatmaker's mini-7-projects, I have decided to pick one item I buy regularly, go without it, and then reallocate the savings. The first thing that came to mind was my beloved Slim-Fast Chocolate Peanut Carmel bars.
These bars and I have a history. While I have attempted to drop a few lbs using the Slim-Fast plan in the past, I have not used the plan in years. What I have enjoyed for almost three years with a cup of steaming early morning coffee (with the exception of a few months when local Madison grocers stopped carrying them...oh the agony!), are these tasty bars. I was over the moon when I discovered them on the shelves of our Cleveland grocery store, one of the perks of our relocation, and have been enjoying them ever since. I wake up craving them, and they have become a part of my early morning routine. K-cup coffee, bar, devotions. If Jeff is looking for a quick breakfast before work, he will always ask me first before taking one. It sounds silly, even as I type, but we all have our little indulgences. It is ironic that my "guilty pleasure" is a diet bar.
I look forward to this small practice of self-denial, and the opportunity to give at the end of forty days. This is always a fruitful time in our marriage as we refocus our hearts, observing the season of Lent.
"Lent isn’t about forfeiting as much as it’s about formation."
-Ann Voskamp
Taking inspiration from Jen Hatmaker's mini-7-projects, I have decided to pick one item I buy regularly, go without it, and then reallocate the savings. The first thing that came to mind was my beloved Slim-Fast Chocolate Peanut Carmel bars.
These bars and I have a history. While I have attempted to drop a few lbs using the Slim-Fast plan in the past, I have not used the plan in years. What I have enjoyed for almost three years with a cup of steaming early morning coffee (with the exception of a few months when local Madison grocers stopped carrying them...oh the agony!), are these tasty bars. I was over the moon when I discovered them on the shelves of our Cleveland grocery store, one of the perks of our relocation, and have been enjoying them ever since. I wake up craving them, and they have become a part of my early morning routine. K-cup coffee, bar, devotions. If Jeff is looking for a quick breakfast before work, he will always ask me first before taking one. It sounds silly, even as I type, but we all have our little indulgences. It is ironic that my "guilty pleasure" is a diet bar.
I look forward to this small practice of self-denial, and the opportunity to give at the end of forty days. This is always a fruitful time in our marriage as we refocus our hearts, observing the season of Lent.
"Lent isn’t about forfeiting as much as it’s about formation."
-Ann Voskamp
i was thinking of you today as i drove home from preschool pick-up and wondered what you had given up today. love what you came up with.
ReplyDeletebtw - really enjoying 7. :)