Ash Wednesday...

I have never paid attention to this holiday or season of lent ever in my life until this year...

The only reason I even thought about it was because I got an email from Blood:Water Mission, who are having a lent campaign of fasting every beverage except water and donating the money you would have spent of coffee, soda and so on...to their cause of building wells in Africa.

But as I prepared myself for sacrificing my beloved beverages, I realized how much my coffee drinks and tea are such a distraction for me. I can not start my day with out a cup of coffee, I don't ever miss it, I can't...but for some reason I have trouble starting my day with the Lord...getting in the Word and easing into my day prayerfully. So even though this season of lent will be difficult, I am so excited for all the God is going to do.

I also had the pleasure of participating in an Ash Wednesday service at All Saints Episcopal Church tonight. It was so amazing! Christian and I walked in having no idea what to expect, and it was so powerful! It was awesome to step into an environment that was not "normal feeling" but I felt so comfortable. The things the bishop had said seemed to relevant to what I am walking in right now, and also things that we talk about at the Stirring.

The practices were not something that seemed run by works and doing this or that and not knowing why, but really understanding and honor something so powerful that has been done for thousands of years. I really can't say anything but how amazing it was. Christian and I didn't even talk on the way back to campus, I think were both just process that amazingness we had just experienced! haha!

And I left the ash on my head, at first because I had no idea if you're supposed to keep in on for a certain amount of time or not, but then I found out that a few hours or however long you wanted was okay...so I left it (my hair covered it up mostly anyway). It's supposed to be a cross but my hair got in the way when he did it...ha.