Ash Wednesday

At the beginning of this year, I decided I wanted 2013 to be a year of adventure, but also of increased self-discipline. I've spent a lot of years justifying doing whatever I want (lots of Treat Yo Self Thursdays and Fridays... and Saturdays...) and I just want to grow in the area fasting and self-control.

I listened to the Swerver message yesterday while I was running, and I got angry and bitter all over again, but then I got encouraged. And convicted.
My biggest conviction was that I need to be getting rid of bad habits, and replacing them with godly habits. 
Even if I never get married, or whatever. I don't want to be a slave to my guilty pleasures.

Anyway. When I was falling asleep one night, a month ago, I was thinking about how Megan was doing these different month-long challenges of basically fasting from different pleasures, and I thought I could at least do some form of that for Lent.


-10 days of no coffee
-10 days of no alcohol
-10 days of no eating out
-10 days of no soda/treats/bread

So you can see they get progressively harder. Ha.
 And I realize it is kind of a Catholic tradition and a lot of Protestants may find it legalistic, but I challenge you to read the description of Ash Wednesday and see if you don't think it's based on Biblical ideas, and how can it be a bad idea to pray every time I wish I was drinking a cup of coffee or eating a cream cheese danish? Plus, if you really want, you can take breaks on Sundays.

So that's what I'm thinking about today. Asking God to help me cast away my idols, because there are so many that creep up.
Praying for bravery.
Praying for strong marriages at my church.
Praying for this clean(ish) air to keep being a thing we can breathe in Utah.

There is hope in the air.