Like this:

Lent* is here again… but this year we are observing Lent together.  Last year Manda sort of got cheated (I was going to type ‘gypped’, but then realized that’s a racial slur against gypsies!) when JR. did the ‘BRAT’ diet (he ate only Beans, Rice, Applesauce and Toast).  Because they often ate together, her diet was altered as well (for the record, she drank only water for the entire Lenten season).  So this year we’re trying a joint fast, with our own personal modifications.

This year, we’ve decided not to use the TV in our apartment – no movies, TV or video games (except for Wii Fit, because we have to stay healthy!).  Manda is also giving up cheese, and JR. is committing to write (blog, book or song) for at least 30 minutes each day.  We’re also using the Lenten reading guide in Thomas Nelson’s The Voice of Psalms and a Lenten devotional written by Henri Nouwen called From Fear to Love that our BCN family is using for Lent.

We’re definitely excited to take this time to focus not only on our relationship with each other, but also on the sufferings that Jesus underwent for us.  I think that since this is our first year of marriage and we’re still learning what it means to put each other first, to serve each other before ourselves, doing this Lenten fast together (along with our brothers and sisters all over the world) will help us understand the meaning of the Resurrection in wholly new ways (but hopefully not like that picture… what’s even going on there?  Are those grenades?  And ghosts in the tomb?  This is terrifying!).

Are you observing Lent?  If so, how?  And what are you hoping to learn during this latest Lenten season?

*For those of you unfamiliar with Lent, it’s the season of the Church calendar we set aside to prepare ourselves to celebrate the resurrection.  Traditionally, Lent involves fasting Mon-Sat over the six weeks preceding Resurrection Sunday (Easter, for the pagan fertility worshipers).  Fasting on Sunday is optional – many Christians choose to celebrate mini-Easters on Sunday since Sunday is the day of the resurrection.

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