“Are You RRRRRRRRRRReady?"

Can you believe it is almost Lent already? For us Christians the MOST important holiday (Holy-day) is Easter Sunday! There are no presents involved, no tree, no parties like Christmas, but Easter and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is truly the most important aspect of our Faith. It is the reason we have HOPE in Jesus, because He did what no one else has done; conquered sin, death and the devil for us!

Through Holy Week, and especially on Easter, we re-live the reality and impact of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We rejoice in His victory and through our baptism, we rejoice and claim His victory as our own through Him! This is what our faith is all about, and Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, is what we celebrate.
So, are you prepared? Lent is that time we celebrate as we get ready for the resurrection celebration. Originally called “quarantine” in Latin, it has traditionally been a time to prepare and reflect. Often, things are given up during Lent to help us focus on God more clearly. If you dig a little further, you can find the origin of the word “lent” which is an old English word for Springtime when the day get longer: the Lenten or lengthen. During the spring, cleaning is done; fields are plowed in preparation for planting seeds, and there is growth of new life.

The seeds we sow are the seeds of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. We prepare our hearts and minds, plowing them in anticipation of the seeds to come and the new life, everlasting life, we receive through the resurrection.
As Ash Wednesday approaches (March 1st), take time to think about what you are going to do to prepare. It is not just about giving up cookies or something like that, but it is about giving up time to God’s Word and His Will. Maybe it is more prayer time, or study time, or finally coming to Sunday School regularly. Whatever it is, know that our Lord loved you so much He gave up His Son for you to come to earth and bear our sins!

Give God time this Lenten season so you are truly ready to rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter!

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