Wednesday, February 25, 2009

40 Days

Day 1

So it would be customary for me to explain why I haven't touched this blog in over a year. I could bore you with excuses like me forgetting my password or losing my hard drive to a crash! I could plead with you to pray for me to be more dedicated and structured. I could go on and on how my life is so busy and I just couldn't find time to write. You don't want to hear excuses and you don't want to hear promises that I will post daily or weekly, or even yearly!

What I intend to do for the next 4o days is a practice of discipline for myself. Hopefully, my friends and family who read this blog will help keep me accountable. If you could please refrain from the boisterous laughter as I explain what I want to do, I would appreciate it.

For many in the world of Christendom, today is Ash Wednesday. This day marks the first day of lent in which the church enters a 40 day period of reflection, repentance and refrain in preparation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. AS Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, Christians commit to "give up" something for 40 days. Many of us have mocked this practice, even by our "participation." Some of us went out yesterday and bought Paczki (pronounced poonch key) which are 1200-2000 calorie, jelly filled doughnuts that are normally only sold prior to Ash Wednesday. Well if you eat a Paczki the day before Lent begins, you can just give that up for lent. Sounds fair huh? (In rejection to this horrific mockery, I will eat my Paczki today! The apple ones are the best and... oops my bad!) If lent is not mocked in that way, I suppose we mock others who attempt to give up their chocolate, soda pop, or soap operas for 40 days. What a sacrifice, no Days of our lives or All my Children for over a month!

O.K. let me be clear, I'm not accusing any of you of mocking the practice, I'm admitting my own mocking of the practice. Here I go mocking someones attempt to reflect, remember, repent, reaffirm and refrain in the name of Jesus! What's wrong with that? What's wrong for me is that it takes dedication and resolve to enter into a period of constant reflection, repentance and refrain. Maybe the reason I have been the perpetrator of such mocking is because I just don't want to do that!

Rather than give up something "per se" for 40 days, i want to take up a challenge. For the next 40 days, I am going to write in this blog. While it may seem trite for many, this is a major task for me. For one, I am not a disciplined person. Secondly, I have a strong desire to express myself in writing. And lastly, I will enjoy watching you watch me miss a day!

There it is in a nutshell, my 40 Days of Lent Blogging Experiment! Would love for you to journey with me over the next 40 days and beyond! Wish me luck or just pray for a brutha!

Tonight's Menu: Sausage and Potato Soup with Kale Greens

4 comments:

The Collins said...

I am sure that you can do it, and I will gladly read it daily as long as you have something interesting to say!!!!!!!!

Jenny Lewelling said...

I will read it regardless if it is interesting or not. ha!
For Lent, I am vowing to read your blog every day along with giving up desserts.

Drew Battistelli said...

yum to the food! hope this goes well...

Wendy Brown said...

I will read it regardless of whether it is interesting or not because you are my friend. By the way, where is day 3? :-)