Lent Day 1 - Ash Wednesday March 9

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes on Him will not die for eternity, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

As we begin to prepare out hearts for the Resurrection of Jesus, I find the easiest spot to begin is at the beginning. And that beginning is Love. God. Loved. Us. More. Than. Imaginable. To draw closer to Him, we have to put aside ourselves and let this Love fill our bodies, souls, mind, every fiber of our being. In my experience, this is sometimes easier said than done. There is a whole lot of Jimmy to get (and keep) out of the way before God can take complete occupancy. And, this same Jimmy, can be pretty selfish about "his space." As I look at the love-gift of God, Jesus, I know I do not deserve it. Never can, never will, yet God still gave it. That's the beauty of grace which we'll chat about during the next 40 days. For now, on day one, I encourage you to just focus on this one truth. God loves you. Don't worry about your warts, poor grades, lack of a job, stupid mistakes you make...that's all overshadowed by those three words. God. Loves. You. Don't let the term Ash Wednesday scare you away. For those of you (including myself), who may choose to attend a service where ashes are applied to the forehead, it is simply a sign of humility before God. Ash Wednesday is a day of reflection on what needs to change in our lives if we are to be fully Christian. It begins my journey to be a more effective Christian by Easter Sunday. Don't forget to remind yourself today. God Loves You. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.