"Life Matters"

Life matters. I chose "Life Matters" for the name of my blog because life matters. It really does. I will write about a lot of things that happen to us in this life we live. And beneath it all I will remember that our Lord cares about our life and what happens to us. In fact he said, “I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10) He cares about the details, the small things as well as the big. And he wants to be not just a part but the center of our life. When we live our lives with him where he wants to be---in the center--- our life really gets exciting. We experience the abundance of life.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. I am going to make an extra effort for the next forty days to live with a God- awareness in my life. In order to do that, I am going to focus on those three important areas of life: mind, heart, and body, and give myself more completely to God in each area. For my mind, I’ve already chosen a book about Jesus and the cross that I will read; for my heart, I’m going to pray a little more than I normally do, and for my body, I’m going to fast at least once a week. Whenever I fast, I plan to give to the needy what money I would have spent on food. These are small things, but they are part of life, and as I said, life matters.

Have you thought about how you might get closer to God during the season of Lent? Maybe you could join me in taking a look at how you are living your life in those three areas I mentioned. Perhaps you already have and could give me some suggestions about how to live closer to God.

I won’t do it perfectly during these forty days. I will get tripped up in at least one of those areas. That will probably happen to you too if you take this journey. Years ago I was on The Zone Diet. The author of book, Dr. Barry Sears, encouraged his readers that if they got out of The Zone for a meal, they could quickly get back in it the next meal. It’s important not to let a slip up take you permanently out of the Zone. It will be the same for us who focus on God more during Lent. If we get distracted for a day, we can get back in our spiritual zone the next day. We mustn’t give up.

My next blog entry will be about something that happened to me when I bought a Valentine card for my wife. It reminded me once again that the little events of life matter. Life does matter.