I've been having more and more trouble being compliant with wearing my sling. Partly because both slings are ripped or nonfunctional....and partly because my shoulder is feeling well enough now that it is begging to be used. I just counted out the dates. March 4th is the 6 week point from my surgery so it really should be okay now to cautiously use it. I don't have a ortho doc appointment until the 17th of March however, so I will need to call the surgeon to get an updated list of instructions.
The other thing on my mind this morning is that come March 5th (Ash Wednesday) is the beginning of Lent. In the past two or three years I've made attempts to "celebrate" Lent by giving up sweets or reading Lenten writings. And in both cases have failed to be 100% faithful.
I have a book of Lenten devotions taken from the Mosaic Bible and for those of you who are unfamiliar with the celebration of these particular days on the Christian Calendar, it is "the season when Christians have historically prepared their hearts for Easter with reflection repentance and prayer. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and proceeds for forty days culminating in Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Since Sundays are weekly celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus the six Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the forty-day season."*
I would like, once more, to set aside some time on a daily basis to read this devotional-and I do not want to get behind in my reading of the Bible in a year so I will also proceed with that. Now there is a danger here of being too ambitious and therefore setting the stage for failure to carry out my good intentions. There is so much more I could do to privately make these forty days significant...I could focus more on prayer... I could read the life of Christ in Scriptures...I could deny myself in fasting or a partial fast by giving up some indulgence...I could do some kind of community service...and on and on. In the days that I spend approaching Lent, I will be praying and asking God for direction...what would HE have me do to commemorate his death? And for those of you who are Christians and who have personal relationships with the Lord Jesus, I would challenge you as well to do this. Ask God what he would have you do to remember what he did for you - for us - on the cross.
There is a beautiful version of the Bible....it's body text is in the New Living Translation....but in the pages at the beginning of the book are readings both contemporary and ancient that take us through the Christian calendar...and there is quite a bit of focus given to Lent. The name of this particular Bible is the Mosaic Bible and the Lenten portions of the readings can also be purchased separately. Here is the Amazon link: The Mosaic Bible. It is also filled with art work and poetry that celebrates Christ throughout the year. If you have the means I would urge you to order a copy of this very special edition of Scripture.
Also another book that I have found to be beautiful as well as beneficial is a devotional book called "Seeking God's Face"...It works its way through the Christian calendar and writes out the daily readings which would be found read in the daily masses in a Catholic or an Episcopalian Church. The purpose of this book is to prepare the heart for prayer on a daily basis. The daily Scripture references are all written out in the two page daily spread so you don't have to flip around and go back and forth from book to Bible. The dates which are covered by this book (to keep in step with the liturgical dates begin in 2011 and go through 2026). And here is the Amazon link for this book as well.
Seeking God's Face
One final book that I would recommend is
The other thing on my mind this morning is that come March 5th (Ash Wednesday) is the beginning of Lent. In the past two or three years I've made attempts to "celebrate" Lent by giving up sweets or reading Lenten writings. And in both cases have failed to be 100% faithful.
I have a book of Lenten devotions taken from the Mosaic Bible and for those of you who are unfamiliar with the celebration of these particular days on the Christian Calendar, it is "the season when Christians have historically prepared their hearts for Easter with reflection repentance and prayer. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and proceeds for forty days culminating in Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Since Sundays are weekly celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus the six Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the forty-day season."*
I would like, once more, to set aside some time on a daily basis to read this devotional-and I do not want to get behind in my reading of the Bible in a year so I will also proceed with that. Now there is a danger here of being too ambitious and therefore setting the stage for failure to carry out my good intentions. There is so much more I could do to privately make these forty days significant...I could focus more on prayer... I could read the life of Christ in Scriptures...I could deny myself in fasting or a partial fast by giving up some indulgence...I could do some kind of community service...and on and on. In the days that I spend approaching Lent, I will be praying and asking God for direction...what would HE have me do to commemorate his death? And for those of you who are Christians and who have personal relationships with the Lord Jesus, I would challenge you as well to do this. Ask God what he would have you do to remember what he did for you - for us - on the cross.
There is a beautiful version of the Bible....it's body text is in the New Living Translation....but in the pages at the beginning of the book are readings both contemporary and ancient that take us through the Christian calendar...and there is quite a bit of focus given to Lent. The name of this particular Bible is the Mosaic Bible and the Lenten portions of the readings can also be purchased separately. Here is the Amazon link: The Mosaic Bible. It is also filled with art work and poetry that celebrates Christ throughout the year. If you have the means I would urge you to order a copy of this very special edition of Scripture.
Also another book that I have found to be beautiful as well as beneficial is a devotional book called "Seeking God's Face"...It works its way through the Christian calendar and writes out the daily readings which would be found read in the daily masses in a Catholic or an Episcopalian Church. The purpose of this book is to prepare the heart for prayer on a daily basis. The daily Scripture references are all written out in the two page daily spread so you don't have to flip around and go back and forth from book to Bible. The dates which are covered by this book (to keep in step with the liturgical dates begin in 2011 and go through 2026). And here is the Amazon link for this book as well.
Seeking God's Face
One final book that I would recommend is
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