02/11/2016
ASH WEDNESDAY
February 10, 2016
Today is the beginning of Lent. Lent is the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
Although the total time between today and Easter Sunday is 46 days, the tradition is to celebrate 40
days of Fasting and Prayer not including Saturdays and Sundays. Ash Wednesday, in the Christian
tradition, is a day when the ashes of the Palm leaves from the previous Palm Sunday are spread on the
heads of the faithful as a reminder of mourning and repentance to God. The tradition of fasting and
prayer is to coincide with the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by Satan
(Matthew 4:1-11). Symbolically, we burn or past and repent before God for our disobedience to Him.
As we begin this season what are the things for which you need to repent to God. Is there
something in your life that you need God to forgive you for and restore you back to Him? Is there
spiritual power missing in your life because you have not given up something in order to get close to
God? Is there an area in your life that you have not surrendered to the Lord? Are you willing to sacrifice
a meal or a phone call, or a television program to spend that time with God in prayer?
SPIRITUAL EXERCIZE:
1. Write down three (3) things you want from God during this Lenten Season.
2. Commit yourself to pray each morning for ten (10) minutes about the above three (3)
things.
3. Write down your thoughts about 40 days of sacrifice.
THANKSLIVING
February 11, 2016
Living in the Western World makes us feel entitled. When we get out of bed in the morning we
take that for granted. We go to the refrigerator or the cabinet and grab food without a second thought.
If we get in our cars and they don’t start, or the bus/train is running late we get very upset. If we are
sick we go to the doctor with ease. These things happen without a lot of consideration on our parts
because we expect everything to be in place and within easy reach. This is what I mean by our feeling
entitled.
However, most of the world is not like that. In Asia, Africa and Latin America over 500 million
people are living in “absolute poverty”. Since you started reading this meditation 200 people have died
from starvation. Over 4 million have died this year, which means that every 3.6 seconds someone dies
from hunger.
Does that help you realize how blessed you are?
SPIRITUAL EXERCIZE:
1. Write three things for which you are thankful.
2. Go back and read the title of today’s meditation. Are you living a thankful life?
3. Write your thoughts about how you can live a more thankful life.
