Actually, it’s day two of Lent, which officially started with Ash Wednesday. As usual, I’m taking a break from social media for the duration.

Also as usual, I’m trying not to be uber-legalistic about it. I don’t punish myself if I open Facebook or Instagram out of habit. I also reserve the right to post if urgent prayer is needed for a family member or friend.

But Lent is not merely a season to go without. It’s designed to create space previously taken up by other things and devote that space to God, to leave room to hear His voice.

Lent is a demonstration that what I give up doesn’t have a hold over me. I own my possessions, but they don’t own me.

I’m ready to see what God has for me this particular season of Lent. I’m hoping and praying for me that I can use my time well. My goal is to replenish my spirit and to restore my mind, to find calm and rest, to order my thoughts and center them around God again.

Ultimately, it’s about preparing my heart for Resurrection Sunday.

Lately, I’ve been seeing and reading about and hearing a lot of sadness. In fact, it seems that most of the news is sad news.

But rather than getting me discouraged, it gives me hope.

I know that one day there won’t be any more sadness. I know for a fact that one day God will wipe every tear from every eye and there won’t be any more sickness or suffering or death. No cancer. No strokes. No infant mortality. No dementia.

I believe as firmly as the air that I breathe that one day God will make all things new and right and whole again. When Jesus comes back, He won’t turn this world upside down, but will turn this upside down world right-side up again.

For those who belong to Jesus, we don’t have to grieve like those who don’t have hope. We have a hope that never fades or fails and that never perishes We have the promises of God that are certain and true as the God who made them.

In the meantime, we have a God of all comfort whose peace transcends human understanding and who walks with us through the deepest darkest valley imaginable.

Come, Lord Jesus, come. Make our faith sight and our hope reality.

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:1-2, NLT).

We have an adversary. In fact, the meaning of the Hebrew word for Satan is adversary, or one who accuses. You can’t go through a typical day without being assaulted with accusations about not being enough, not having enough, not doing enough. We get these messages from just about every radio, television, and social media outlet out there.

But we have an advocate, someone who speaks and acts on our behalf. The Bible says that Jesus is that advocate who pleads our case before God the Father. And who would God listen to more than His own Son?

I can rest well tonight knowing that Jesus intercedes for me and pleads on my behalf as my advocate. Whatever gets thrown my way, nothing in all the world can ever change or take away from the truth that I am a child of God forever. That goes for anyone who belongs to Jesus.

We may have a multitude of adversaries, but one this one Advocate trumps them all.

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray” (Samuel Chadwick).

It’s the one thing that makes the devil afraid, yet it’s the last resort for most of us most of the time.

May this be the day that you spend more time in prayer, knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Gratitude works.

The Apostle Paul says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT)

Once again, note that it does not say to be thankful FOR all circumstances but IN all circumstances, knowing that God can work all things, even the worst of things, for good.

Gratitude is always a choice. You have to choose it every single day, sometimes multiple times in the same day. Otherwise, the natural human defaults of entitlement and complaining take over.

I believe the more you practice the art and discipline of gratitude, the more you will see God at work in your life and in your world.

Give thanks.

“God made a covenant with us. The word covenant means ‘coming together.’ God wants to come together with us. In many of the stories in the Hebrew Bible, we see that God appears as a God who defends us against our enemies, protects us against dangers, and guides us to freedom. God is God-for-us. When Jesus comes a new dimension of the covenant is revealed. In Jesus, God is born, grows to maturity, lives, suffers, and dies as we do. God is God-with-us. Finally, when Jesus leaves he promises the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Spirit, God reveals the full depth of the covenant. God wants to be as close to us as our breath. God wants to breathe in us, so that all we say, think and do is completely inspired by God. God is God-within-us. Thus God’s covenant reveals to us to how much God loves us” (Henri Nouwen).

I love that. God is for us, then with us, then within us.

I’m thankful for all three aspects of God’s covenant with us. He didn’t choose to watch us from a distance, like that old Bette Midler song.

He chose to be for us, to dwell among us, and ultimately, to make His home in us through His Holy Spirit.

How can it get any better than that?

Yes, in case you missed it, it’s Friday.

For me, it was quite the week. I managed to get through one week of jury duty without actually having to go serve on a jury. I got through the end of the month madness at my job and survived to tell the tale.

I also had another stellar birthday (which means in my case that I was alive to see another birthday and have some fantastic friend and family to celebrate it with me).

The weather was weird as usual. From flash flood advisories to sunny spring-like weather back to dreary winter weather, we had it all. All that was missing was pumpkin spice and falling leaves to mark all four seasons.

Right now, I’m fantasizing about turning off the alarm and sleeping in tomorrow. That’s what us old people dream about — sleep. At least that’s what this old fogey dreams about.

Today marks another day that I’m thankful for amazing grace that I need just as much on sunny days as on those rainy days, just as much when I’m feeling great as when I feel worthless (as I’m sure all of you feel from time to time). In other words, I need grace all the time, more and more as I get older.

So that wraps up another Friday evening for me.

When my time comes to die (which I hope isn’t anytime too soon), I don’t know a lot about what heaven will be like, but I do know that Jesus will be there. That is quite enough for me.

In 7 days, many believers will participate in Ash Wednesday, the start to a 40-day period of fasting called Lent. During this time, people generally will give up something like coffee or sweets or television. I personally have given up social media for the duration.

If you’re stuck for something to sacrifice, here are some good ideas I read about in an email I received today. It’s from Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd.

FYI: You can give these up not only for Lent but for the rest of the year and hopefully, for the rest of your life.

1.  Fear of Failure- You don’t succeed without experiencing failure. Just make sure you fail forward.
2.  Your Comfort Zone- It’s outside our comfort zone where new discoveries are made.
3.  Feelings of Unworthiness- You are fearfully & wonderfully made by your Creator. 
4.  Impatience- God’s timing is the perfect timing.
5.  Retirement- As long as you are breathing, you are here for a reason.
6.  People Pleasing- I can’t please everyone any ways. There is only One I need to strive to please.
7.  Comparison- I have my own unique contribution to make & there is no one like me.
8.  Blame- I am not going to pass the buck. I will take responsibility.
9.  Guilt- I am loved by Jesus & He has forgiven my sins.
10.  Over commitment- Do less good & accomplish more.
11.  Lack of Counsel- Wise decisions are rarely made in a vacuum.
12.  Impurity- Live lives pure & without blemish.
13.  Entitlement- Neither the world nor God owes me anything. Live in humility & grace.
14.  Apathy- Life is too short not to care.
15.  Hatred- Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 
16.  Negativity- I will put the best construction on everything when it comes to other people. 
17.  The Spirit of Poverty- Believe that with God there is always more than enough & never a lack.
18.  Going Through the Motions- The more you invest yourself, the more you will get back.
19.  Complaint- Instead of contributing to the problem, be the solution.
20.  The Pursuit of Happiness- God wants something greater & more lasting than happiness. It is called joy.
21.  Bitterness- The only person I am hurting by holding on to this is myself.
22.  Distraction- Life is filled with distractions that will take our eyes off the prize.
23.  Giving Up- God never gives up on us.
24.  Mediocrity- If you are going to do something, then give it all you got.
25.  Destructive Speech- Encourage one another. 
26.  Busyness- It is a badge of honor to be busy. But that does not always translate to abundance.
27.  Loneliness- With Jesus I am never alone. He is with me wherever I go.
28.  Disunity- If 2 of you agree on earth about anything, it will be done for them by the Heavenly Father.
29.  The Quick Fix- Rarely does true transformation happen over night.
30.  Worry- God is in control & worry will not help.
31.  Idolizing- Don’t assign anyone a standard they cannot live up to.
32.  Resistance to Change- Change is certain. It is not if we will change, but how we will change.
33.  Pride- Blessed are the humble.
34.  Small View of God- Don’t tell God how big your problem is, tell your problem how big your God is.
35.  Envy- My value is not found in my possessions, but in my relationship with my Heavenly Father.
36.  Ungratefulness- You have been blessed in a way greater than you realize.
37.  Selfish Ambition- God has a mission for me that is bigger than me.
38.  Self-Sufficiency- Jesus is my strength. I can do all things through Him.
39.  Sorrow- Weeping may tarry for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
40.  My Life- Whoever loves his life loses it & whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

I normally don’t share this kind of thing, but I believe there are a lot of nuggets that will help a lot of people (including me). May these bless you and they have blessed me.

“I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize that He is able to carry out His will for me. It does not matter where He places me, or how. That is for Him to consider, not me, for in the easiest positions He will give me grace, and in the most difficult ones His grace is sufficient” ( J. Hudson Taylor).

I give credit to Ann Voskamp for the catchy title of this post. That’s also the goal of every believer. Prayer and worship over panic and worry.

Recently, I was reminded again of just how many fellow believers are walking through grief, loss, illness, and suffering. I can’t even begin to understand the trials that some of God’s saints endure yet are more joyful and patient than most.

I don’t believe that God never gives us more than we can handle. In fact, the Apostle Paul says, “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NLT).

That’s the goal of it all. Surrender and trust, not self-reliance and self-help. Paul went so far as to say that he could boast in his weakness, because that’s where God’s power is perfected.