Lent

Today is the first day of Lent.

I had meant to ask Pastor Dan last week how one observes Lent, since I had never done it before, but it didn't seem appropriate after his announcement that the church was closing. So I'm winging it.

Knowing that you are suppsoed to sacrifice something for the length of Lent, I decided, after much inner debate, to sacrifice watching my beloved Scrubs reruns. I watched one last episode last night... and it just so happened to be one of my favorite ones, the one where Dr. Cox decides to be gentler with his residents, and as a result they gradually start acting more and more like high school kids. Meanwhile, JD's girlfriend breaks up with him when she realizes he is not over Elliot and therefore will not let anyone else be close to him.

(I never said I wouldn't summarize Scrubs reruns during Lent, just not watch them ;)

Anyway, I plan on celebrating Lent the way I used to celebrate Yom Kippor, without all the guilt attached. Yom Kippor is the Jewish day of atonement. Traditionally Jews fast all day. It is also a day where they are supposed to forgive one another, let go of grudges, and reflect upon their behaviour of the past year. Their own sins of the year are then wiped away.

I didn't like Yom Kippor as a kid/young adult because many of the prayers used had an emphasis on fearing God's punishment for being so evil and sinful.

However, I see Lent as a similar time, minus the guilt. It's a time to renew my relationships with others and with God, and to self-examine.

This first day of Lent has been a weird day, which I rather suspect was designed to get my mind off-track. It began with one of my contacts mysteriously disappearing out of my eye secons after I put it in, and ended with my cell phone not ringing so that I missed my very busy sister's call.

But, now, I am cooking for the first time in three months. I moved my lamp into the kitchen so I can see, since I cant rach the ceiling bulb to change it. I just started a new macaroni and cheese dish that I got from the Weight Watchers comfort foods cookbook. It's pretty similar to the recipe I used to have except it has onions and diced tomatoes in it, plus after it's made you bake it in the oven with toasted bread crumbs for half an hour.

Now that I'm in the cooking spirit, I decided that I'm going to bake a pie in honor of the last day of church. I think the bana bread pudding I used to make will do nicely.

Things are looking up :)