Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4 v 1-2)

Dear Friends,

When you’ve eaten your pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, will that be the beginning or the end of your Lenten activities?

Last year I acquired a booklet called LOVE LIFE, LIVE LENT. It gave ideas throughout Lent based on that title, and it was not about giving something up, except perhaps giving up our time to use it for something better than what we usually do with it.

Lent is linked to the time Jesus was in the desert and was tempted. He went through suffering to give him the strength and resolve to tell the Good News about the love of God to the people he would meet.

So what might we do to show God’s love? I had to think long and hard about this question and I eventually came up with de-cluttering. Having already decided to pass on my collection of books, lovingly gathered over many years before God took over my life so much, to Chris Mellers, I decided that I had other treasured possessions I could part with that if sold, would help to spread the love of Jesus to others in need.

You might think that it would not be a sacrifice, but actually it would be because I have emotional attachment to many of the treasured possessions.

I’ll let you know in the next magazine whether I was able to carry the decision through.

One way you might recognise the time of Lent is by making time to come to the Bible Study on Thursday mornings. See the Diary of Events.

Love Life, Live Lent.

Every blessing,

Marion