A Note from Tom: March 9th, 2011

Hey, everyone!

Hope y’all are pumped and ready for this amazing and important Sunday coming up! It’s going to be so important! Not only is this the second Sunday of the month when we all bring delicious stuff from home and eat together after church (if I was in the “Sound of Music”, C3 fellowship meal would be one of my favorite things! “Whiskers on kittens”? Really?!) but also this Sunday is...

“Change-Your-Clock-And-Spring-Forward! Sunday”!

That’s right!

This Sunday at 2:00 am, we jump ahead into the future by one hour! It’s like “Back To the Future”! (I’m not sure how ‘cause I never saw it...) Many people just set the clock ahead before going to bed because you already lose an hour of sleep, so it makes it worse to have to wake up at two and turn your clock to three. But wouldn’t it be cooler to have the full experience and wake up at five to two!, get up! and turn your clocks  forward in on the minute! Just once!

There must be a very important reason for doing it, even though in Algeria, Singapore, South Korea, Swaziland, Venezuela, Burundi, the state of Indiana, and loads of other places, they just leave the clocks alone all year and snooze on. (Did you know China has only one time zone?)

Y’ know, it isn’t really called “daylight savings time”.  It’s “daylight saving time”. And it doesn’t really save any daylight. You get the same amount. I know springing forward and falling back time-wise, must be important...but I’m not really sure why.

This is an important week also because today is the beginning of Lent. Today is Ash Wednesday, when believers around the world begin to prepare their heart for Easter. For lots of folks, today is the beginning of a period of deprivation, when many choose to deny themselves pleasurable things for the next 40 days. I know it must be important, but...to be completely open about it...I don’t really get it (Wow! Did I really say that?) I mean, I’ve read tons about it. I’m just not sure if I understand why someone wouldn’t eat any chocolate until Easter. Chocolate is good for you. Dark chocolate has antioxidants, it can lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and elevate mood. If you don’t eat a ton, and it’s a blessing, why not?

Paul wrote this to Timothy...”For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer...” (1 Timothy 4)

In Acts 14, Paul said that God has given a testimony of His existence, goodness, and love by “showing kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy!”

If it’s a good blessing from God, I’m not sure what the value is from not enjoying it on purpose just to put myself through it.

On the other hand, if there IS something that is in my life that isn’t good...that our Lord doesn’t want there... a habit...an attitude toward someone...an ugly way of talking...a bitterness and/or resentment you feel every time a certain face pops into your thoughts...a rut you’re in...a stubborn refusal to give a true, full-hearted forgiveness to someone who hurt you...This would be an awesome time to say, “That’s enough!” This would be an awesome season to get rid of it! To stop! And not for 40 days, but for good! What if not drinking Cokes or giving up playing “Angry Birds” on your iPhone for 40 days is a way to avoid facing something that is serious and something I need to admit and evict from my life forever?

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, yelling and name-calling, along with every form of hurtfulness and meanness.” (Eph 4)

“...Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...” (Heb 12)

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind...” (1 Pet 2)

If something is a blessing, praise God. Enjoy! But if there’s something that you know needs to go, what better time than THIS day to say, “Ok. It’s time. I’m done with that for good!”

You would “spring forward” into spring with a heart that is light and free!

I know Lent is all about getting ready for Easter...but, Hey! Our Lord Jesus IS risen! He’s alive today! He lives! In you! You have all the power you need in Him to say “No!” to things that need to go!

What better day than today?

What better week to start over than this one?

Sure it might be a tough week to face serious things ‘cause you get an hour less to sleep, but as we’ll celebrate in 40 days, Jesus is alive! And He’s in you! What better day to begin again!

Don’t wait ‘til Saturday night!  Spring forward today!