Lent Recap and Prayer Buddy Reveal

I can't believe Lent is over!  Here I was wishing it away a week ago, and now I'm sad to see Lent 2011 go.  I'll admit that I enjoy Lent and Advent because they are so filled with rich meaning and they are 4 or 6 weeks long.  The seasons are manageable enough for me to really focus and not grow bored.  As we head into the Easter season and then Pentecost, I feel like they go on and on and it's hard to get as deeply involved.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the seasons, but the ADD part of me grows bored and unfocused.

This Lent I enjoyed reading through the entire Gospel of John as part of a special Lent devotion focusing on light shining in darkness and the one Light- Jesus.  I really enjoyed re-reading the stories of Jesus and reflecting on the idea of light and dark.  It was something I could really connect with as I struggle with those areas that cause darkness in my life.

I also really enjoyed participating in Lenten Prayer Buddies for the first time.  I've read about others' participation in the past, but now that I finally have a blog, I could also participate.  It was so nice to focus on praying for someone else these past 6 1/2 weeks.  Since this person didn't have intentions for me to pray for, I decided to pray Scripture for her. I've never really done something like this before, but just felt like that was what God was leading me to do.

The Bible talks about God's Word going out and not returning void, but accomplishing the purpose God intended for it (see Isaiah 55:11, but all of Isaiah 55 is a good read), so with that promise of not returning empty, I set out to pray God's Word for my prayer buddy trusting that God would use my prayers and His Word to accomplish something big in her life.  I decided I would come up with 40 prayers symbolizing the 40 days of Lent.  As I came across Bible verses each day, I would turn them into prayers for my prayer buddy.  I wrote them on the front and back of note cards and it was easy and convenient to pray and re-pray those words.

My prayer buddy was a new blog for me to discover, but I instantly felt a connection to her as she battles some of the same health issues I do.  I was excited to read that she had been on a trip to Israel just as I had and was impressed by her dedication and love of the Lord.  My prayer buddy was Alive in Hope.  Thanks for the opportunity to pray for you.  I'll be sending these prayer cards your way in case you'd like to read them all.

I leave you with this neat picture I took tonight- a double rainbow.  It's hard to see the 2nd rainbow (it's to the left of the bright one), but I promise you it was there when I took the picture. I love double rainbows and we seem to get a fair share of them.  Every time I see a  rainbow it makes me think of God's promise that He gave way back in Genesis.