Lent

Growing up Catholic, Lent was always a big deal.  As a kid, I sort of hated it though.  Not eating meat on Fridays and giving something up for 40 days.  That meant no chicken nuggets and often no candy.  What kid enjoys that?  Every Friday we would have fish at my grandparents house and many people would go out to eat.  Signs would advertise "Fish Friday!" all around town.  Lent would come to a close with a creepy play at church on Good Friday.  I remember the smell of incense (which I still hate to this day) and of course Jesus rising from the dead.  As I got older, I understood the meaning of Lent more each year.  It is no longer 40 days of lack of good food ending with a terrifying ordeal.

When we began attending a non-denominational church in high school, they still had Ash Wednesday services and celebrated Lent.  It was nice to keep the tradition of a Catholic church during holidays.  After attending another church the past 6 years, I finally convinced the husband to give this non-denominational church a try.  And boy! Did it take some convincing!  But now we both love it.  I asked him a few days ago what he was giving up for Lent.  He looked at me like I was out of my mind.  Guess you can't take the boy out of a Presbyterian mindset!  In years past, I have given up soda, coffee, alcohol, fried foods, carbs.. but on Easter the thing I gave up was all I wanted.  So this year I am doing things a little different.  Instead of giving something up, I am adding something to my days.

I have completed a few bible studies from Good Morning Girls and love the organization of them.  I need something to write and reflect on to get anything out of it.  For example, even in school I wrote everything in order to remember it.  The husband finds this tedious and unnecessary so we can't agree on a bible study, but it helps me.

Right now I am on Songs of Songs.

What bible studies do you enjoy?