For most Christians, tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent, a season of repentance, forgiveness and mercy.
This penitential season leads us to the great feast of Easter, when we remember Christ’s resurrection.
So, why start with ashes? From Old Testament times (Esther 4:3, Isaiah 58:3, Jeremiah 6:26, Daniel 9:3), ashes have been a sign of repentance. Jesus spoke of the use of sackcloth and ashes (Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13). Continue reading
It’s pretty easy to get discouraged, don’t you think? I’ve been talking to a lot of people about discouragement lately, and it seems as though it’s affecting just about everyone in one way or another.
Maybe its your health, or finances, or relationships, or work, or your kids. It could be that you’ve been looking for a job for months, and you get rejected over and over. Or you might be disappointed with someone who you wished had their stuff a bit more together. No matter what it might be for you, discouragement can really get us down, and that’s not a good place to get stuck. Continue reading
I was talking to a friend early this morning. He had forgotten that he made a commitment to his coworker to meet earlier than normal, and the man had to wait for some time for my friend to show up. He wasn’t happy.
In life, things like this happen all the time. Sometimes, we’re the person who forgets. Sometimes, we’re the person left waiting. It’s these little things in life that seem to drag us down. Continue reading
A friend of mine gave me a great little book for my birthday. Written by Matthew Kelly, The Dream Manager is a wonderful story of how a struggling company was able to turn things around because they helped their employees achieve their dreams.
Written in 2007 when we were living in better times, I believe the book has even more relevance today, since there are so many who are going through difficult times and might feel that their dreams will never come to pass. Continue reading
Lately, I’ve been really trying to stick to my vegetarian diet. Since I’ve been traveling a lot, it hasn’t always been easy. I often worry about getting enough protein, since most of us get our daily dose get this vital nutrient from eating meat and dairy, vegans/vegetarians have to be careful that they have a balanced and healthy diet.
Beans and legumes are a great protein source, and are also high in fiber. They can be prepared thousands of different ways, and this recipe is just one. I hope you’ll make up a batch and try it by itself or as a burrito filling. Continue reading
I was out on yahoo’s homepage yesterday, and I saw a little news item that caught my attention. It read, McDonald’s drops pink slime.
How could you not open that little window to see what they were talking about? Heck, we all eat at McDonald’s from time to time, right?
Well, I think they’ll be a few less fast food customers after watching this video clip. Continue reading
Although it felt a bit like spring in my neck of the woods today, winter is still with us. In fact, I’ve always found February to be the coldest, snowiest, and dreary month.
I was trying to find a hearty soup to cook and then freeze up for one of those snowy days that are sure to be coming soon, and I thought this recipe, which includes a good portion of super healthy butternut squash, would be just the one to make.
