My Confessions...

Today is Ash Wednesday, and living in a prominently Catholic society, this was a big deal today. Last night was Carnevale, and we celebrated the night away with a masquerade, confetti, a silly string fight spanning a few Piazzas, and a street parade in front of the Duomo. It was definitely a night to remember. Today, though, it got me thinking. Last night Kyle asked me what I was giving up for Lent. Jokingly, I said studying, but it really got me thinking about what I could do. I've done lent before giving up chocolate and cokes. One lent season I did something kind of different. My best friend was raised Catholic, and she told me that many times instead of limiting you time from something, you add your time to something else. That year we used our spare time to do volunteer work at a nursing home. This year, as I started thinking about what I could give up, I went through the usual...food, facebook, shopping...but nothing seemed to be right. It was then that I realized that what I need in my life is not to give up a single item, but rather to seek an internal balance.

So as Jason would say...here's my confession.
I don't have the balance that I should in my life. I struggle to find the ways that the four areas of my life fit together. I have a very skewed perspective of the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical areas of my life. During these next 40 days I want to focus on that. For Lent I am going to bring schedule into my life. Living here in Italy, we don't have any kind of regular schedule. That is something that has made it hard to balance the time in my life. Every night before I go to bed I am going to make a schedule for the next day, trying to find a balance in my life.

Another side point...and maybe another confession. I've been frustrated with God for a while about my relationships. I know without a shadow of a doubt that he has got everything under control, but somehow that still doesn't keep me from worrying. Anyway...Tonight I went on my first date in several months, and it was really nice. Although bike riding isn't my strongest aspect, I still had a great time. Who knows if there will even be a second date, but it was definitely a very comforting touch from God tonight. Also, living in a house with 20 Christian boys has really inspired me to be the Christian girl I should be. These boys lead my chapel services and are leaders in daily life, and I truly appreciate the challenges they give me daily.

Confession number three...I read this passage several nights ago in my quiet time, and it has really stuck with me.
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of Jesus Christ.
-2 Peter 1:5-8
WOW. There is so much in this verse that convicts me. First, a big fear that I have had lately is being idle in my life with Christ. I want to live a faith that is proactive...so when I read this, I thought to myself...this is the key I've been looking for! Secondly, I have felt for a long time that if my religion were to hinge on one word, it would be "Love." Our greatest commandments are to love God and love people. I have been very sold on the LGLP movement for a long time, and I think that it is the key to life as we know it. What I see in these few verses is my third point; our new life starts in faith, but that is only the beginning. When we begin to grow faith in our lives, we begin to mature and produce even more. To faith we add goodness, and to the goodness, we add knowledge...and what is the end goal? To me it is clear here yet again. Love. We are here because of love. We are given mercy because of love. We are given grace because of love. We are on this Earth to learn how to love. Point blank. Now, I'm not claiming I now know the key to life and all things are set in place, but I do think that this is important, and a fairly simple concept that we should be sharing with the world. Love God, and Love People. (now of course, that is much easier said than done, but if we do not even tell people, how are they supposed to try? Let's give people the key to life. Let's give people the love of our Lord and Savior.) Point four, and it's the last one (I swear), to live the life we are called to, we must "possess these qualities in increasing measure." If that isn't a great commission, I don't know what is.

Today I have been greatly humbled. I hope that you, too, will take time on this Ash Wednesday to really search for God's plan in your life.
God speed.

At the request of my readers here are a few pictures of my travels. Here's to new things!

My Italian floutist
Getting coffee across from the Duomo
Firenze football game
Boarding in the Alps