It is Finished

 

Hey Y'all!!

 

Well I started a lovely draft for you all on Friday but I guess I forgot to save it. This Easter weekend and this Lenten season as a whole was marvelous. A lot of reflecting, soul searching, and renewing and strengthening my connection with Christ (and with my sisters in Christ!). I am loving my Good Friday tradition of going to church at St. Luke Baptist Church in Paterson, NJ. I even made Hot Cross Buns for breakfast.

When I tell you I heard some good preaching on Good Friday--I don't even know where to begin to tell you how it blessed my spirit. My baby boo was even well behaved at church for the whole 2-3 hours. Major win. The service is titled "Seven Words One Friday" each year. Seven preachers each preach a short sermon centered around Christ's seven last words on the cross. Some of the preachers repeat but for the most part each year they are new and if they repeat, they preach on something different. I have been combing through my notes to find one thing that really stood out to me but there was so much. I will have to break it up.

If I had to pick my favorite this year though, it was the sermon on "It is finished." (John 19:30b) preached by Reverend Maurice Porter, Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Hartford, CT. As I reflect on it now, this scripture was also my favorite last year too. Reverend Porter talked about the fact that when something is finished, it is done--not almost or part of the way but all the way done. However, just because something is finished doesn't mean that the rewards stop as evidenced by the resurrection of Christ. He reminded us that we have to make sure that we are able to separate ourselves from whatever our "it" is. Jobs, relationships, rejections, or anything else that may change in our lives. Whenever "it" is finished, we are not. Because something is done, doesn't make us any more or any less. Jesus was still God's son as he died on the cross but he had to endure to finish his assignment (more on this one later). We are no different.

 

Rejection, setbacks, and just change period can really make us feel low and take us to dark places spiritually and emotionally but you can't start something new without finishing the old. What "it" have you finished or are about to finish? I know that no matter what "it" is, the Lord will be with you.

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter/Resurrection weekend. I even managed a mini-Easter hunt in my yard for Ebony and Ivory.

Break Away

Hey y'all!!!

It was a great week taking a break from social media. It was nice to not have my phone glued to my hand but I did miss me some Pinterest though.  I think I am going to continue to keep the apps off my phone but still keep them on my iPad. This way, when I am looking at them, it is for leisure and not just because I can. I really thought I was going to miss something but I didn't miss a thing! The people I wanted to know about, I did (even if it was delayed). Everyone else wasn't really needed. I do admit that it is nice to check-in on family and friends/acquaintances who aren't local, but I don't need to do it every five minutes--once a day or even every few days is fine. In fact, I wasted a good 30-45 minutes of work time this Saturday just aimlessly surfing on Facebook and Instagram. I already don't have a lot of time so that is crazy.

That being said, here are my Top 10 Benefits of Backing Away from Social Media:

1. More phone battery life.
2. Actually talking/texting people I love.
3. Uninterrupted quality time with my family.
4. More time being productive.
5. Actually reading the news from news sites.
6. More time to focus on tasks that need to be done.
7. More time to read the word. Did you know in the Bible App you can listen to the Bible?!?!
8. Phone not permanently glued to my hand.
9. Keeping private things private.
10. Time to read magazines. 

It's really amazing how life continues to go on even if we aren't glued to social media. I am not 100% against social media but I want to be the one in charge of it instead of it running me.

To learn more about my fasting journey this Lenten season check out the details here. 

New Perspectives

I hope everyone is enjoying/enjoyed their weekend!

Fasting this Lenten season has really been a blessing to me. I have been able to reflect and really gain some new perspectives. I have also develop new appreciation for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. I was a little irritable when fasting last Wednesday so I really needed to check my attitude and get in touch with why I was really struggling. It is so easy to get distracted and caught up. I don't want people who interact with me during my fast to think man she's rude today...must be the fasting. Fasting is only a small sacrifice that I am making and I want to represent God well while I am doing it--I will keep that in mind this Wednesday. I wanted to share part of this devotional as we head into next week:

You can download this devotional:
 Devotions for Lent From Holy Mosaic in the Holy Bible App or learn more here.

I should have way more time to reflect this week because I will be fasting from social media. *GASPS* That means no Facebook, no Instagram, no blogging or reading blogs, and no Pinterest. I know that I personally waste a ton of time on social media so I look forward to the break and new perspective. Do I really need all the access that I have? Can I set some parameters on social media so I don't waste so much time but enjoy it as a leisure activity? I personally feel like my son sees me on my phone too much anyway. I don't want him asking for a phone one day and then we are all distracted. I am hoping to gain a lot of clarity this week. I tried to get the hubbs to join in but he wasn't buying it and my mom doesn't think I can do it--I'll be showing them. Feel free to join in even if you just pick one form of social media!

I am sure I am going to have a lot to write about so stay tuned. I can't wait to see what I accomplish this week.

Have a blessed week--see you next Saturday!

Meatless Friday's

Have I ever mentioned that I love bacon? Like I will get up at 5AM, sometimes even earlier, to make bacon to go with whatever I am going to make for breakfast on any given day. That being said the idea of having a meatless Friday is not on my list of things I would love to do. So, when I read about not having meat on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during Lent, I had to learn more.

Here is what I found (abbreviated):

 

The “why Friday?” question is pretty obvious: it is one way we commemorate the Passion and death of Our Savior Jesus Christ. But the question of “why meat?” seems to come up again and again...It is precisely because meat is so good that we are asked to give it up at certain times. It wouldn’t make a whole heck of a lot of sense if we offered something we considered bad as a sacrifice to God. More to the point, meat was singled out because it is associated with celebrations and feasts. I understand that there has been a slight cultural shift in the last number of years with more and more people eating a more vegetarian diet, but most of us still base the food we eat during celebrations around a meat entrée (Thanksgiving turkey, Easter ham, Fourth of July brat, burger and a steak). A day devoted to remembering Christ’s Passion doesn’t seem like a day to feast. Interestingly enough, the day we celebrate the Resurrection is a day for feasting (and we get one of those every single week: Sunday). On top of all of that, meat has often been a luxury in many cultures. People didn’t always have a McDonald’s Dollar Menu, and meat cost a bit more. Maintaining a spirit of simplicity, people turned to other, less expensive fare.

 

...So what about fish? How’d that one slide by? I mean, it seems like meat, right? The thing is, fish never really had the same status as the flesh of mammals and birds. It isn’t associated with celebrations (in fact, I happen to associate having to eat fish with those other things parents force their children to do in order to “build character”).

 

...But I still don’t see the point! I don’t even like meat, and I would rather eat fish! This isn’t difficult at all! I like that statement, because it strikes at the heart of why we are doing this. God doesn’t need us to give up meat. God doesn’t need us to have a filet-o-fish on Fridays. What does God want? For you to suffer? Is the point of Lent to just grit your teeth and bear it, and if you happen to like fish then you just aren’t going to get holier because holiness comes from pain? NO! The heart of holiness is love, and the way we express our love is through obedience. Abstaining from meat won’t make a person closer to God. But having a posture of obedience to the Church that Christ established will.

 

Wasn't that deep!?!?! You can read the full version here.

 

 

 

Pause and Reflect

Wow I can't believe how fast March snuck up on me!! I am so blessed to have reached 29 years of age. It is the last year of my 20's and let me tell you I have NO reservations about being close to turning 30. Today is also Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season. This season is a time to really do some soul searching, reflecting, and repenting. It is also a time to devote yourself to God, his purpose, and sacrifice for the world. I have mentioned before that it is a totally different experience for to live through these religious seasons as an adult and through the eyes of my son. They really have taken on a new meaning. I want to learn as much as I can so that I can teach him too. I have never given up anything for Lent so this year I decided to take my Christian walk further and participate in fasting with a friend and her church. They have a cool guide (below) that I am using along with some devotionals to really dive deeply into the Lenten season and really recognize and honor in my own way the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. What an awesome way to start of being 29 right? I will be sharing some reflections here over the next 40 days.

I hope you all have a blessed day and rest of your week and if you don't know much about Lent, I encourage you to look it up or come back here each week. You may be inspired. 

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:16-21 NLT)

*I started this a week earlier, so I will be adding an extra week of something on the end. You can get the full guide here.