Gainesville Times Interview
I recently had a great conversation with Jennifer Linn from Gainesville Times. We discuss bible journaling as well a bible painting! Click here to read Jennifer's article.
Lent
Lent is truly one my most favorite times of the year. Really spending time recognizing the season of Lent has helped me to bring back the wonder of Easter that I feel like I had lost of the years. Growing up the only thing Lent meant to me was fish sticks on Fridays.
The 40 days leading up to Easter have be some of the most life giving, perspective changing days of my entire year. I wanted our students at LIFT to have that same moving experience with God. I didn't want them to wait until they were 30 years old to know Lent was more than fish fridays.
This year I challenged students to hand over something to God that may be keeping them from really connecting with Him. I know that there is this whole practice of “giving up” something for Lent, but to be honest, I am sick of the menial no soda thing. I wanted them to dig a little deeper. Dig past the chocolate and coke. Then once they handed something over to God, I challenged them to have a specific prayer over the next 40 days.
Each student took a purple band and wrote on the inside a special prayer, a name, a situation, or whatever they felt led to write and then wear that band until Easter. We have had to replace lost bands each week for various reasons, but that just tells me that they mean something to those students.
[bctt tweet=”Do you think that's because I have been praying about it everyday Ms. Charlie? Because I have never done that before.”]
A 7th-grade boy texted me just this week to say that one of the situations he wrote down has already been changing. “Do you think that's because I have been praying about it everyday Ms. Charlie? Because I have never done that before.”, he told me.
I found this band in our sanctuary while cleaning up after worship last week. I don't know what this student wants their dad to quit, but I have kept this on my desk and joined them in prayer. I am excited see to how God continues to move throughout this Lenten season. Witnessing His power among our students is life changing for me.