Lent.

Tomorrow lent (the season of fasting from Ash Wednesday until Easter) begins.  No, I'm not Catholic, but I do think observing lent can be helpful in refocusing our attention.  Our church has encouraged us to give up something that distracts us from the Lord, so we can use the time normally spent on that distraction to focus on spending more time with the Lord. 

As I began to think about what I might give up, I was reading through 1 John and stumbled across a verse that really convicted me.  The scripture reads:

"For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the father, but from the world (1 John 1:16)." 

That's when I knew what I needed to give up...all forms of social media (facebook, twitter, instagram, foursquare, and this blog).  I love starting and ending my day with browsing these sites.  They keep me connected and informed, but they also breed lust and boasting in my life.  It  is so easy for me to look at someone's blog or facebook page and be envious of what they have or what they are doing.  I also find myself feeling pressured to boast about the things I'm doing in return.  Talk about a distraction!

So, for 40 days and 40 nights I will not check any form of social media.  In addition I will replace my dependence on caffeine with a dependence on Christ as my source of strength and energy.  I'm going to miss my daily diet coke and morning coffee, but I'm looking forward to a renewed since of dependence and a life with less distractions.  Please pray that the Lord will honor this time of fasting and grow me in ways I never thought possible.

See you all again on Easter!