Ash Wednesday

Today at our table during the break between Neuroscience and Pedatrics Process we did not talk about wedding plans. Instead we discussed the troubles going on at The Ohio State University and Head Football Coach's current two game suspension, $250,000 fine, and whether or not knowing his star players were receiving benefits and lying about it to the NCAA is or is not a fireable offense. Maybe the sarcasm was laid on a little too thickly.

On a little different note, today was an important day in the life of the Christian church, Ash Wednesday. There was some discussion during some of our breaks about Ash Wednesday and Lent means. I was talking with a Catholic girl about the upcoming season, and a couple of other people overheard and did not understand why I, a Baptist, would have anything to do with Lent. For me, Lent is to Easter what Advent is to Christmas. You can not really appreciate one without the other. I explained to the small crowd beginning to gather around Ash Wednesday and Lent are not "Catholic holidays," but instead means by which we all can prepare our hearts for what comes after the forty days, the greatest of all Christian holidays, Easter.

For Lent I have decided to give up Facebook. It is not that I have become compulsive, as some of my friends have, about checking it, but that I know there are better ways to spend my time. Instead of concentrating my efforts to my communication with God. First Baptist Church of Gainesville is putting an emphasis on prayer,. I think by giving up Facebook it will give me a few extra minutes a day to work on my communication skills with God. I want to be more adamant in doing so. I want to be more of someone who is comfortable with praying with and for someone.

The above picture was taken from my home church First Baptist Church Rome. My Dad explained it to me like this, "One candle will be extinguished each week leading up to Holy Week. The Christ Candle will be  extinguished at the close of the Maundy Thursday service. It is sort of like a reverse Advent but is supposed to portray the darkness that is gathering around us as Lent progresses."