Today is Ash Wednesday (that might be why you see people walking around with ashes on their forehead) or the first day of Lent.  Lent marks the 40 day  long season of prayer and fasting before Easter. The 40 days most commonly represents the 40 days Jesus wandered the desert.

The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, fasting, self-denial in commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, celebrated on Easter.

Last year is the first time I really paid any attention to Lent. To tell you the truth, it was something I really enjoyed doing.  Therefore, I am planning to do it again this year.  Here is my plan for this year:

Last year I took time to fast from all sweets.  As hard as that was, I was able to leave the cookies and ice cream alone.  This year I decided to go another step and to actually fast from sugar.  Now it is pretty much impossible to fast from all sugar, so I decided to stay away from sugary products like: white breads, sweets, soda pop, milk (that won’t be hard), special coffee drinks, lemonade…and so on!

Know that there is nothing magical about observing Lent and taking time to fast.  It is a great way to refocus on the things that really matter. Moreover, it is a time to prepare our hearts for the truth and power of the cross.

As the season of Lent is upon us, I would love to have company and accountability in this endeavor. Would you consider fasting along with me as we prepare for the Easter season. In doing so…please take the time to lift the church, our leadership team,  the community, your family, and maybe a specific friend or need up in your prayers. Furthermore, I would love to hear your stories. Let me know what the season holds for you, where you desire growth, and how the journey is endured.

Prayer is an interesting endeavor. No matter what is going on in my life I find I need and can always pray more. It is easy to live in constant conflict over our prayer lives. One thing I have found is that sometimes the simplest prayers are the most helpful and even the most meaningful. Below is a story of one man’s simple prayer that changed his life and the lives of many others. However, don’t let the simplicity of the prayer fool you…the weight of his prayer is very real and one I find hard to muster up regularly. And yet, I think it is exactly what God wants us to pray!

“Evan Roberts, a 26 year old coal miner heard a man pray this prayer, “Bend us, Lord. Bend us.” He left that prayer meeting praying this simple prayer, “Bend me, O Lord. Bend me.” This prayer was the spark that set revival through the church in Wales. Out of that simple prayer Roberts developed a powerful message that contained these four points:

- Confess all known sin

- Deal with and get rid of anything doubtful in your life

- Be ready to obey the Holy Spirit instantly

- Confess Christ publicly

Over the next year he preached that message and 100,000 people came to Christ in what is known as the Welsh Revival of 1904.”

Leaders moved by the mission of God pray “bend us” prayers.  Bend our hearts, minds and souls so that we will adjust our lives to be aligned perfectly with Your redemptive flow.  This week will you take the time to ask God to “Bend” you?

The past week has seemingly flown by!  So many fun and exciting things.  The week really picked up for me when I had the chance to travel to Orlando.  I left at the crack of dawn Wednesday morning, along with my travel partner Scott Ridout, from Sun Valley Community Church.  We flew to Orlando in order to meet with some local church planters.  Our time was spent discussing the the ups and downs of church planting, sharing ideas, and praying for one another.  After our time was over, we quickly jumped on a plane to fly home, arriving home at 12:00 am Friday morning.  The time spent in Orlando was  truly a blessing- not to mention having the opportunity to eat breakfast with my own father who just happened to be visiting Orlando to attend a business conference.

The weekend then came upon us quickly as my wife prepared to run the PF Chang’s Half Marathon.  She had been training to run for sometime now and the event surprised us with how quickly it got here.  Melissa had the wonderful opportunity to run along side a friend and other supporters to raise awareness of money for a disease called Duchenne (a form of muscular dystrophy).  A disease in which one of our friends two sons are battling against!  

Just incase you are wondering my wife made it to the finish in one hour and fifty-five minutes…(what a stud)!

Today, we continue to move onward- onward in our search for office space to help us get things started.  Please keep us in your prayers as we search to find a location and space that fits our needs and budget.  With all the traveling and preparing for the race…a particular verse has come to mind.  Let it bless you this week as it has me over the past several days…

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)