40 day of Lent - Happy St. Patricks Day

Top of the morning to you - well afternoon

Today's Lenten Thought

March 17 - Sing "When Irish Eyes are smiling"  in the shower today.  Find it on you tube.

I admit I don't know the words to the whole song.  But here is the chorus 

When Irish eyes are smiling, 
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring. 
In the lilt of Irish laughter 
You can hear the angels sing. 
When Irish hearts are happy, 
All the world seems bright and gay. 
And when Irish eyes are smiling, 
Sure, they steal your heart away. 

Here is where you can hear the Irish Tenors sing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHSV8igDiEo

Perhaps you'll want to sing along with them, if not enjoy it anyway!  Today we are all Irish. 

Years ago when I was first working in Allentown  there was a Chinese restaurant that we 

use to go to on our lunch hour, Kenny's and the one year just happen to be St. Patrick's Day 

when we went.  The little Asian man that greeted us at the door was all decked out in green

with a leprechaun  type hat.  He said to us, today we all Irish, in the most Asian accent you 

can imagine.  So I remember that today.  What the heck - a little blarney is good now and then.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. 

40 day of Lent - Putting God first

They shouldn't throw the deep thought ones at me on the weekends...... 

Today's Lenten Thought

March 16 - When you give God priority everything else falls into place.  You'll become hopeful when before you were anxious.

It's all about putting God first.  In our thoughts, hearts and prayers. 

Proverbs says:

In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success." - Proverbs 3:6 

 

I know I am guilty of not always putting God first because I become anxious and try to fix the problems on my own and then I remember to lean on Him more than myself.    I try to think  "God, I want to do this, but I can't do it without You."    He understands when we  make mistakes. So if you mess up, don't give in to discouragement and let it hold you back; confess it and keep going. He will give you grace to do what you need to do. One day at a time you and God together can do anything!

40 days of Lent - HELP!

Today's Lenten Thought

March 15 - Ask others for help.  Consider paying for help you need if possible.  Clear out guilt and martyrdom.

Yeah I am a martyr.  I sometime refuse to ask for help  and then I like to whine about it.  There, I admit it.

But I did breakdown and asked my mom for help with the laundry this week.  It's been a busy week having someone in the hospital for most of it.  I will get her a lottery ticket tonight for helping.  She did a lot this week for me, watched the dog, laundry and dishes.  Maybe I will get her 2 tickets.

Sometimes it is hard to ask for help, pride gets in the way.  We also get the "do it my way" syndrome.  No one can do it right but us.  Sometimes we have to let others do things, even if it makes us squeamish at the way they do it.  I get over it eventually so can you.

It worked for Daniel - 

Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. Daniel 6:11

So sometimes we can ask others for help and sometime we can ask God for help, but either way, it can't hurt.

40 days of Lent - At the car wash

Today's Lenten thought -

March 14 - Wash your car.  Thank God you have a car.  Find out if there's someone who needs a ride to church on Sunday. Or anywhere else, on any day.

Wash my car?  I only do it once a year and it isn't time yet, LOL!!!  I really think they should have posted this one a little later in the month and on the weekend.  But it is not a bad idea to thank God for your car and to be helpful to others.

I will be giving Parke a ride home today from the hospital YEAH!  He has been in the hospital since Saturday. 

But seriously, sometimes we do need to take time to thank God for what we have.  Sometimes we get hung up on what we don't have instead.

40 days of Lent - Faith a memory

Today's Lenten Message

March 13 -  Faith is memory before it's hope.

Remember how you've made it through hard times.  You can trust that you'll make it through again.

That was actually a very deep thought - faith is memory before it's hope.   I had to ponder it a bit.  But what we are saying here is we made it before, through prayer and belief that God is listening and we use that memory to help us make it through again.

How true that is for me.  When I need to do something scary or something that makes me nervous, whether it's singing or talking in front of a crowd in church or a test in the hospital I usually pray something like -  God you helped before can you please help me again. 

From the scriptures - Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

I would like to memorize "faith is memory before it's hope"  but I know my memory - so I think I need to write this one down and keep.  I think it's a special thought.

40 days of Lent - It's raining

hmmmm

Today's Thought -

March 12 - Delight in the weather, whatever it is.

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring.  I guess I can delight in it - it's not snow.  That makes me happy.

Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.  - Leviticus 26:4

So rain is a good thing, spring is coming, I see the crocus's blooming, I see the robin in the yard.  All signs that winter is coming to an end and spring is just around the corner.

So okay, I will delight in the rain today, hope you do to.

40 days of Lent - Clear the clutter

Today's Lenten thought -

March 11 - Clear out come of life's clutter.  Make a plan or take a first step toward quitting a bad habit.

I wonder what they mean.  I probably have a lot of bad habits that I don't think are bad habits.  Okay I am a chocoholic - but is it bad?

I am all for clearing out clutter though, too much clutter and I can't think straight. 

I read this on another site -  http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5171/3-Tips-to-Clear-Clutter-Transform-Your-Life.html

"If you are ready for a break-through in your life, I highly recommend you set aside some time to begin clearing away the clutter in your life. Once you have cleared your clutter, you will feel amazing; happier, lighter and free!

This is because as you clear up the physical clutter in your life, you are literally healing yourself from the inside. This creates space and possibility for the “new” to enter your life."

 

Well - that sounds absolutely lenten doesn't it!