One Cracked Vessel

  Lent Day 3: “Alone” “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’””  -‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬ It’s no secret I’m mostly an introvert. I enjoy getting to know people and hearing their stories and I love a good get together. At the end of all that getting together, though, I need to be alone for a bit. Each year we try to make it to the beach with our family and whoever they bring along. While there is much I cherish about our yearly trips to the beach, my most cherished times are the moments I’m able to just simply sit on the beach at the edge of the ocean sitting in a chair low to the ground, feeling the waves come in and out across my feet. Alone. I d...

  Lent Day 2: “Tempted” “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Since our kids have gotten older, Alex and I have embarked on adventures. We have attended more concerts than I can count, taken short getaway trips to new places, and generally just had a good time together. I’ve never been very materialistic and don’t need the latest gadget, designer bag, or expensive jewelry. However, I do treasure making memories through experiences. This is something we tried to instill in our kids as they were growing up. We kept our Christmas to three presents (if three gifts were good enough for Jesus they are good enough for you) and we have routinely given circus, concert, and theater tickets in lieu of physical gifts.  As I was looking through old photos today while meditating on the ...

  Lent Day 1-Full “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I haven’t always observed lent in an intentional manner. A few years ago I stumbled upon a photo-a-day Instagram challenge for Lent. Prior to this project, my attempts to observe lent were mostly limited to giving up soda, sugar, or something along those lines. I was probably in my thirties before I seriously thought about observing lent with the practice of “giving up” or “adding” in order to be more mindful about the Easter journey. The year I first gave up soda turned into about two years of not drinking carbonated beverages. But the year I came across the Photo challenge changed how I viewed my practice of lent. It inspired my creativity and made me think about how God was working in my life through all of my experienc...