Day 1 (AKA: Detox)

Well I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that Day 1 of no Internet until O'Ryan's bedtime was much harder than anticipated. Within the first hour I was awake I went for my phone to check this or that online at least 10 times. I'm hoping this sacrifice will ultimately bring me closer to Jesus, but today I was finding myself wanting to already cheat or make up excuses. Well maybe one of the 36 e-mails I received in the last 2 hours are reeeeally important. But, I made it. And I'm mentally exhausted. How pathetic.

I've actually been wanting to cut down on Internet time for a while now. I wouldn't say I'm on it every free minute, but like most people, it's my go-to for any amount of down time. I started thinking about how much time I spend thinking about the Internet...what I want to post on FB, what my next blog post should be about, wondering what weather.com's 10-day forecast is. Just all of that thinking alone requires of a lot of mental work and time on really, nothing. Nothing too important at least.

Last night when I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Kelly's Korner, I remembered! Lent! There was my opportunity to cut back on online time. Even though I was like an addict trying to resist my choice of drug, I succeeded. Of course it's only Day 1, so I'll keep you posted.

The other thing I decided to do during Lent is 40 Letters in 40 Days. This exact idea was on Kelly's blog. Immediately I thought, I am SO doing this!! It's right up my alley. I can't tell you how many times I think about certain people in my life - from the past or present - and just wish I could tell them how I feel about them (good things of course). There are some people in my life that have positively impacted me and have no clue! I'd like to write them a letter and let them know. I've always been a leave-a-note kind of person, so this is pretty exciting for me. Maybe it's weird. I don't know. I mean some of these people will be a little thrown off, but that's fine :)

The whole point is to let people know they're cared about, appreciated and noticed. And I'm alll about that.

I just love Lent - the whole idea of sacrificing something for 40 days, as Christ did in the desert just before he began his public ministry. During his 40 days and 40 nights, I can't even imagine how much growing he did. You have to completely lean on God and trust Him to get you through an intense time of fasting and prayer such as that. I yearn to have a season of enormous growth like Jesus did in the desert.

Although my sacrifice is quite different from Jesus' 40 days, I pray for a similar result. I know God will grow my faith, prayer life, and will power :) But He will also celebrate with me the joyous season of preparation for the Easter celebration!