Number 2

It's been so long that I guess I need to do another post to make so additional updates. Ash Wednesday came and went and once again was unable to go get ashes. I was not feeling well at all very sick from starting my new antibiotic I believe. I was bummed. My Lenten commitment I have decided will be to wake every morning around 5:00 am and pray the rosary. So far God has rewarded me every day with a beautiful sunrise he must really love me! (I do wish he would do something about the snow though!)

My fist day I could not find anything special to focus on as an intention. I have been trying to build a cross to display in my yard. In the process of doing so I thought It might be neat to have a crown to hang from it, so hence the Crazy neighbor walked out to his woods and cut some black berry vines to fashion into a crown of thorns. With every prick I was called to mind Christ's suffering but in the end it actually worked out quite well and I was left with a "crown of thorns." I decided that the crown would be my focus for this the first rosary of Lent.

Day two was the stripes. Since I became Catholic I had heard a lot about stripes, and realized I knew little. After praying I did some research. I learned that there is some contention regarding how my lashes Christ took (Possibly more than 39) I also learned that those that believe it was 39 also believe that Christ not only bore the spiritual punishment for us but that he also took the yoke of physical illness also. Guess what....all disease can be traced to 39 broad categories. This was something that my anatomy and physiology class did not teach me! Though I did not expect it-perhaps I AM BEING SENT A MESSAGE. (PERHAPS I SHOULD CONSIDER LISTENING!)

Day three .....hum-what shall I focus on and there it was COURAGE ! I once heard someone in the military say that courage was not acting without fear but acting IN SPITE OF IT! I traced the steps of the passion from the prayer in the garden to the last breath and decided that this was probably a good one for day three.

I know that this may be rather unorthodox, but these off the cuff intentions seem to be working so at least for now I think I'll roll with it. I told Emory today that God is constantly speaking to us- So for right now I guess I'll choose to listen! With that I guess I'm caught up on my posts.